“Many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is. As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir,” he said.
The 16th Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that many members of Nigeria’s elite are disconnected from the reality of poverty across the country. Speaking at a public lecture on Saturday to mark the 60th birthday of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Sanusi emphasized the importance of empathy and service in leadership.
“Many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is. As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir,” he said. The former Emir recounted his firsthand experience of rural hardship during his reign, highlighting the lack of basic infrastructure.
“And you go to the village and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, the two-block classrooms without roofs,” he lamented, before posing a critical question to Nigeria’s leadership: “Do we love the people, or do we just love ruling over them?”
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