A former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has declared poverty as Nigeria’s main problem.

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 warned that no nation can prosper with a rising poor population.

Obi said this on Monday in a statement to mark the World Poverty Day.

He noted that the growing poverty rate in Nigeria should be of great concern to leaders.

Obi stressed the importance of devoting more resources to eradicating the problem and creating a better world for all to live and thrive.

“Poverty is dehumanizing, it is therefore left for humanity to create a better world by putting measures in place to eradicate poverty and give everyone the chance to live a meaningful life.

Lamenting that Nigeria has become the poverty capital of the world, with over 90 million people in the index, and more than 15 million out-of-school children roaming the streets, Obi told the government to fix the situation.

He advised authorities to aggressively invest in key areas of economic growth to enable them lift people out of penury.

“To combat poverty in Nigeria, organizations and wealthy individuals must deploy their resources to support government investments in these critical areas.

“May we not forget the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ that ‘Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.’ We need to understand that poverty eradication and ensuring a better society is for all of us,” Obi added. (Agency report)