Some Nigerians have taken to social media to narrate the heartrending moment they became convinced that a huge number of people live in abject poverty across the nation.

The social media users said they arrived at that conclusion after travelling to some rural parts of the country where they said they got the confirmation that Nigeria is truly the poverty capital of the world.

A ‘N30,000’ debate on Twitter which dragged through the weekend into Tuesday morning prompted some users to share their encounter with poverty in the country.

A section of social media had argued that N30,000 was a meagre amount after a lady took to Twitter to say a man he met at a party wrote his phone number on N30,000 cash while trying to woo her.

Career development expert and a lecturer in the United Kingdom, Dr Dipo Awojide while narrating his encounter with poverty in Nigeria said he was surprised when an old woman started shedding tears after he gifted her N5000.

Narrating how he helped the old woman who clears his land in Osun state by giving her the said sum, Awojide said the woman told her the money would feed her family for months.

His encounter with the aged woman made him describe poverty in Nigeria as grade A.

He tweeted:

“I gave the old woman that clears the bush on my land in Osun state just N5,000 in 2018, she burst into tears, rolling on the floor and holding my leg. Says it will feed her for months.

“The poverty in Nigeria is grade A. It is nothing to be trivialised. It is a v serious issue.

“I read several tweets on that 30k issue. N30K is nothing to a lot of people. But to others, it will feed them for months. Then, tweets on savings. Some people can save 100K monthly. But some can’t even feed properly to start with. They practice 0-0-1. How will they save money?”

Also sharing his experience, popular Twitter user @Yojora wrote:

“I had my birthday in nysc camp, we went to buy 2goats in town for 10k… The man who sold the goats was crying & praying for us cos according to him, he’d never sold anything of that amount in his life.. See poverty Dey this country,my views changed a lot after that year..

“Even in this Lagos when I started working on the field,I saw people earning 7k per month,Omo I weak. Some people live from loan to loan thanks to cooperative societies,just so they can meet immediate needs. People are pulling funds together to buy food in bulk to save 200 on food

“You’re now wondering how some people can’t save, their entire savings mostly goes to take care of needs, not even for emergencies.. Many of us are privileged, we must be thankful but also be aware that we are.”

@fribone tweeted:

“Same here first time I understood the meaning of was when a friend sent his mom 10k out of the 19.8k & was like ” she really need am” by that time my own remain N200 4rm Mami, twitter is a glass bubble where people come to flex their insecurities & ignorance of privilege.”

 

See other reactions:

 

Same here guy, nysc opened my eyes.

Poverty is everywhere, forget Twitter.

Nigerians are poor.

— William Ukpe (@William_Ukpe) 13 January 2020

Traveling to attend Court matters in rural locations opened my eyes. You really have to leave the ‘big cities’ to understand this poverty thing…

— Hewhomustbenamed (@uzo01) 13 January 2020

We are the poverty capital of the World for a reason, the Poverty in Nigeria is astonishing in every state especially when you go to local areas. People can use 1K for a week happily

— King Nonny ? (@Zaddy_nomso) 13 January 2020

NYSC opened my eyes too. one man sent the 19800 we got in camp to his family. I finished mine even before we left camp. I saw people who were poor mehn. People who were going to suffer if they spend 5 naira out of their money.

damn it. shit makes me emotional every time.

— Chiedozie R. Ike (@DzRufus) 13 January 2020

If you served during election period and you participated as an Adhoc staff you’d see poverty face to face… people legit trekked miles not because they were patriotic but for “any amount go feed my children abeg which party make I vote for”
I was heart broken when I heard it

— Oluwamuyiwa Osadare (@muyiwa1801) 13 January 2020

..tired of living in the same place without anything. Those kids lost their parents to insurgency and the likes. I have both my parents alive and healthy. It was really thought provoking for me. God help us o.

— Lasbrey Chibuzor (@ChibuzorLasbrey) 13 January 2020

NYSC opened my eyes to a lot,
I saw some people struggle to donate cash as low as 100 naira.
Some people’s hope of going back home was dependent on the 19800 they got in camp

Nigerians are suffering, poverty dey this country big time

— Olalekan Odogwu Afolabi (@AfolabiISR) 13 January 2020

I went to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, I can attest to that, an almajiri once saved me from getting killed, he told me they’re planning to attack my estate, his reason 4 saving me was, I use to give him food and I’m always nice to him. Touch a life is all that matters.??

— Dat Jos Bwoy?? (@drugz_dj) 13 January 2020

Ill never forget last year, bought sugar cane worth almost 1500 from this woman and she was crying? cudnt believe it. I have learnt to never or hardly bargain with low income earners?. Long as i walk into a mall and take price hook line and sinker, I’ll not argue price with

— favour prince (@p_hilia1377) 13 January 2020

During my NYSC days in Calabar 2011, i realised that there are people who don’t even have hope for tomorrow. I gave an old woman i met at UNICALTH 3k, she told me to bend down so she can bless me. Nobody has ever given her money in 2years.?
I shed a tear after i heard that.

— Omezuo 1 (@Okafor_Mang) 13 January 2020