The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said he only truly understood what poverty means after he became Emir.
He shared this insight during a public lecture in Abuja, held to celebrate the 60th birthday of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The lecture focused on the topic: “Weaponization of poverty as a means of underdevelopment: A case study of Nigeria.”
Sanusi noted that many Nigerian elites do not fully understand poverty.
“As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir,” he said. He described his experience visiting rural areas where people lack basic necessities such as clean water and proper shelter. He pointed out the poor conditions of schools and asked a critical question: “Do we actually love the people or do we just love ruling over them?”
The Emir went on to say that while cities receive projects like flyovers and underpasses, rural communities struggle to access hospitals and other essential services. He stressed that Nigeria is in a crisis and urged leaders to focus on finding ways to solve these problems. Sanusi also called on those in leadership positions to develop empathy and truly care for the people they govern.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, also spoke at the event, expressing his worry about the repeated election of poor leaders. He said, “We keep electing people who only know how to grab power but don’t know what to do with it.”
Another speaker, Prof. Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, explained that many cases in hospitals are not just medical problems but are linked to wider social issues. He blamed corruption and poor governance for the widespread poverty in Nigeria. Yusuf urged citizens to take responsibility by voting wisely to bring about positive change.
