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Claim: Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticising the President Tinubu-led government, made several claims about the poverty rate, malnourished children, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) fees and services, and Nigeria’s public debt.
Verdict: Mostly False. Atiku’s claims are a mix of true, false, and misleading assertions.
Full Text
On 29 May 2025, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised Tinubu’s administration via his X account, describing it as “one of the most incompetent, disconnected, and anti-people governments in Nigeria’s democratic history.”
He alleged that Nigeria has become the poverty capital of the world and the African country with the highest rate of malnourished children, surpassing Sudan.
“It is sad that apart from being the poverty capital of the world, Nigeria has, under this administration, emerged as the unenviable position as the capital of malnourished children in Africa, having beaten Sudan, a nation that is at war,” he wrote.
Atiku also accused the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of increasing its service charges by 75 per cent and introducing VIP protocols for basic services. He criticised this as a shift towards class-based governance that favours the rich.
Additionally, he raised alarm over Nigeria’s public debt, claiming it had grown from N49 trillion in 2023 to N144 trillion in 2025—a 150 per cent increase—with projections indicating the debt could rise to N183 trillion.
According to him, while state governments had shown greater fiscal discipline by reducing their collective debt from N5.86 trillion to N3.97 trillion, the federal government had become the primary driver of the country’s worsening debt crisis.
Verification
Claim 1: Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world
Verdict: False
Nigeria has often been called the “poverty capital of the world,” but in 2025, that title doesn’t tell the full story.
While the country still faces a serious poverty problem, recent data shows the situation is more complex. The World Bank says that Nigeria now has about 15 per cent of the world’s extremely poor people, which is over 106 million people living on less than $2.15 a day. This means Nigeria has one of the world’s largest numbers of poor people.
However, as of 2022, India surpassed Nigeria in total numbers, so Nigeria is no longer number one by that count.
Even so, the level of poverty in Nigeria is still very high. About 46 per cent of the population—almost half of the country’s estimated 233 million people—live in extreme poverty. This is worse than in previous years and shows how difficult life has become for many, especially in rural areas and places affected by conflict.
But when looking at the poverty rate—the percentage of people living in extreme poverty—Nigeria is not the worst. Other countries, like South Sudan and Somalia, have even higher poverty rates, some above 80 per cent. What makes Nigeria stand out is that its large population means that even a smaller percentage still contributes to millions.
Hence, the term “poverty capital” is no longer accurate, but it shows how serious the poverty situation is. With one in every seven extremely poor people in the world living in Nigeria, the problem is still very big.
According to World Population Review 2025, Nigeria has a poverty rate of 40.1%. This is not in the top five countries with the highest rate (as the highest rate is 82.3% for South Sudan).
Claim 2: Nigeria has overtaken Sudan to become the capital of malnourished children in Africa
Verdict: True
Our recent fact-check revealed new statistics that show Nigeria now has more malnourished children in Africa and the second in the world.
Read the full article here.
Claim 3: NIMC increased service fees by 75 per cent and introduced VIP-only services
Verdict: Misleading
The claim implies government-backed exclusion and class-based discrimination in accessing a vital national service. Such a narrative could erode public trust in institutions and create unnecessary panic over affordability.
DUBAWA investigated the statement and found that Atiku’s claim that the NIMC increased service fees by 75 per cent and introduced VIP-only services that undermine basic citizenship rights is false.
According to official communication from the NIMC, the cost of modifying personal data on the National Identification Number (NIN) database has indeed increased for certain services. Still, these increases are specific and do not reflect a blanket 75 per cent rise across all fees.
For example, the fee for correcting the date of birth on the NIN database is now fixed at N28,574, representing a 75 per cent increase from the previous fee of N16,340.
However, the fee for changing other data fields, such as name or address, has been increased to N2,000 per request, a 31 per cent increase from the earlier fee of N1,522.
It is important to note that initial NIN enrolment and the first issuance of the NIN slip remain free, while the fee for reissuing a NIN slip has only increased slightly from N500 to N600.
For Nigerians living abroad, the NIMC has set the adult enrolment fee at $50 and $30 for children in African countries, with slip reissuance priced at $6. Correcting a date of birth for those abroad costs $55, while modifications to other fields are set at $10.
Name correction costs $60 for Nigerians outside Africa, while other changes remain at $10.
The claim that the introduction of VIP or premium services undermines basic citizenship rights is false. While it is true that NIMC has introduced expedited or premium services, often referred to as VIP options, to offer faster processing, these are optional.
These services do not eliminate or restrict access to the standard services, which remain available to all citizens at regular rates. There is no evidence to suggest that ordinary Nigerians have become unable to access basic identification services due to these changes in pricing or service structure.
In summary, while certain fees have increased, particularly for specific data corrections, the assertion that the commission raised all fees by 75 per cent and introduced VIP protocols that limit citizens’ rights is inaccurate and misleading.
Claim 4: Nigeria’s public debt rose by 150 per cent
Verdict: False!
Public debt figures are critical for evaluating government performance. Overstating the debt burden can mislead citizens, distort economic discourse, and create unnecessary panic about the country’s fiscal health.
DUBAWA reviewed the available data and found that Atiku’s figures do not align with the statistics published on the website of the Debt Management Office (DMO).
According to the DMO’s fact sheet, as of Dec. 31, 2024, Nigeria’s external debt stood at $45.78 billion. This represents a 7.6 per cent increase from the $42.50 billion recorded at the end of 2023. This shows a moderate increase from previous levels, but it is far below the 150 per cent rise claimed by Atiku.
Atiku’s figures appear to reflect total public debt, which includes debts from both federal and state governments. However, focusing on the federal government alone, the growth in debt is significantly lower than claimed.
Conclusion
Atiku’s statement contains one accurate claim, multiple inaccuracies and overstatements that are not supported by available data from reputable sources.
While it is true Nigeria has overtaken Sudan to become the capital of malnourished children in Africa, Nigeria is not the poverty capital of the world. The claim that NIMC increased service fees by 75 per cent across the board and introduced VIP services that undermine basic citizenship rights is inaccurate and misleading.
Also, the claim that the country’s public debt rose by 150 per cent is an exaggeration of the actual increase reported by the Debt Management Office and oversimplifies the shared responsibility of federal and state governments in managing the country’s debt.
