Africa’s poverty is man-made, not an act of God – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said poverty challenges inherent in Africa are man-made and not from God, noting that the continent has all that it takes to create wealth.

Obasanjo, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the FESTAC Africa Festival at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu, Kenya on Monday, said there will be trouble should African leaders fail to address the widening poverty levels.

“Africa has no reason to be poor. Our poverty is not an act of God. We are steeped in poverty due to our poor mentality. We need to wake up because we have a wealth of resources, the former president said.

He further stated: “If you look back in history, you will see that whenever others needed to get work done, they came to Africa to transport black people to the so-called New World to make others rich. And that hasn’t stopped.

“The slave trade led to colonialism. We enrich others while remaining impoverished. We need to awaken.”

According to data from Statista, around 429 million people in Africa were living in extreme poverty in 2024, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day. The number of poor people on the continent increased compared to the previous years.

This increased number of poor people is sparking a new wave of protest across the continent.

Obasanjo said that even though Africa has regained political liberation, it is yet to attain economic freedom, noting that the World Bank’s programs may not fit into African realities.

“Structural adjustment was the idea of the World Bank. However, I disagreed because we lacked the structure. What exactly were we adjusting? They were simply deceiving us,” he said.

Nigeria’s first president upon embracing democracy in 1999 said the continent has abundant resources to wage war against poverty, stating that African leaders may be “sitting on a keg of gunpowder” as youths are becoming more angry.

“We have everything needed to create wealth. No one will do it for us. We must do it ourselves. If we don’t act, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. Our youth are restless, unhappy, bitter, angry, unemployed, and dissatisfied.

“They cannot wait for a long-promised future. They want action now. If we fail to deliver, we will be in trouble. However, we can meet their needs because we have the capability,” the erstwhile president said.

Obasanjo expressed nostalgia at the return of the Festival of Arts and Culture, whose second edition was held in Nigeria during his tenure as military head of state in 1977 – 47 years ago.