Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso and Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi today features on the town hall organised by Arise TV. This town hall edition focuses on education, healthcare, poverty and human capital.
DUBAWA, a member of the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NCF), is involved in live fact-checking of claims made by the candidates.
Claims made by the candidates and fact-check reports are presented below:
Claim 1
CLAIM: PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar claimed agriculture is Nigeria’s highest employer of labour.
FINDING: A report by PwC, titled Current State of Nigeria Agriculture and Agribusiness Sector, published in September 2020, described agriculture as the highest employer of labour in Nigeria. A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) disclosed that about 70 per cent of Nigerians also engage in Agriculture.
VERDICT: Correct
SOURCE: PwC Report and FAO.
DATE: 04/12/2022
Claim 2
CLAIM: Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claimed that Nigeria’s average life expectancy is 55 years, and the global average is 72.9 years.
FINDING: A 2019 data on life expectancy by the World Bank shows that Nigeria’s average life expectancy is 55 years, and the global average is 73 years.
VERDICT: Correct
SOURCE: World Bank
DATE: 04/12/2022
Claim 3
CLAIM: Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claimed that Nigeria is rated 163 out of 191 countries in the global Human Development Index (HDI).
FINDING: The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, released the HDI Report for 2021/2022 in September, and Nigeria ranked 163 among 191 countries.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCE: UNDP’s HDR Report 2022.
DATE: 04/12/2022
Claim 4
CLAIM: Peter Obi claimed Nigeria’s education budget had been less than ten per cent in six years.
FINDING: A review of Nigeria’s budgetary allocation to education between 2016 and 2021 shows that the federal government allotted less than ten per cent to the ministry of education. The highest percentage the ministry got was 7.9% in 2016.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCE: Budget office of the federation and Premium Times.
DATE: 04/ 12/ 2022
Claim 5
CLAIM: Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, claimed that Nigeria’s education budget had been less than 10 per cent in six years.
FINDING: A review of Nigeria’s budgetary allocation to education between 2016 and 2021 shows that the federal government allotted less than 10 per cent to the ministry of education. The highest percentage the ministry got was 7.9% in 2016.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCE: Budget Office of the Federation and Premium Times.
DATE: 04/12/ 2022
Claim 6
CLAIM: Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, claimed that education is among the three indices used to measure the human development index.
FINDING: A 2021 report by the United Nations Development Programme shows that the three basic dimensions to measure human development are: a long and healthy life, knowledge (education), and a decent standard of living.
VERDICT: CORRECT
SOURCE: UNDP
DATE: 04/12/2022
Claim 7
CLAIM: Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claimed that Nigeria’s total health budget in the last six years is N2 trillion and 250 billion.
FINDING: A review of Nigeria’s health budget in the last six years, between 2017 to 2022, shows that the federal government allocated 2.7 trillion naira to the health sector. However, If Mr Obi meant between 2016 to 2021, as he referenced earlier, Nigeria’s health budget stands at 2.3 trillion naira.
VERDICT: Incorrect
SOURCE: Budget Office of the Federation and Premium Times Data
DATE: 28/10/2022
