Renowned political economist, Pat Utomi, has sharply criticised Nigeria’s ruling class, accusing them of ignoring the country’s worsening economic and security crises while indulging in luxury and excess.
Speaking on behalf of a civic coalition during a media briefing, Utomi described Nigeria’s current state as an “existential crisis” driven by deep poverty, insecurity, institutional collapse, and elite irresponsibility. He called for immediate civic engagement and transformational leadership to rescue the nation.
“Poverty is the clearest evidence of our leadership failure,” he said, lamenting that 75% of rural Nigerians now live in chronic poverty. “Hunger is ravaging the land,” he added.
Utomi painted a stark contrast between the hardship facing ordinary Nigerians and the lifestyle of the ruling elite.
“The rural economy has collapsed. Farmers can’t farm. Yet, our political elite are fixated on convoys, private jets, and SUVs. It’s morally bankrupt,” he declared.
He also warned of an impending food crisis, revealing that over 30 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the June–August lean season.
“Our agriculture team raised this alarm months ago, but the government was too busy with propaganda to listen,” he said.
To combat this crisis, Utomi called for bold structural reforms. These include revising outdated land tenure laws, empowering universities to support agricultural extension services, and investing in agro-processing clusters.
“Just as land-grant universities transformed American agriculture, we must bring our academic institutions back into the heart of farming and food security,” he argued.On insecurity, Utomi highlighted the link between poverty and rising violence:> “When people are poor and hopeless, they become easy recruits for terrorists and criminals.”
He advocated for Decentralised policing, urging that local and state governments be empowered to manage their own security operations.Utomi’s remarks underscore growing frustrations with Nigeria’s leadership and the urgent need for reform amid worsening socio-economic conditions.
