"I know this country and I have studied it a lot and I know the insight of the problem of this country. Nigeria has no business being poor; Nigerians have no business being poor," Akintoye stated.
Banji Akintoye, a renowned Professor of History has lamented the poverty level in the country, stating that “Nigerians have no business being poor”.
Akintoye stated this during a lecture he delivered at the 10th anniversary of Adaba FM in Akure, the Ondo State capital, noting that Nigeria will get poorer, as long as the younger generation roam the streets.
Theresa May, British Prime Minister, speaking in South Africa on Tuesday, had described Nigeria as a home to the poorest people in the world. [story_link align="left"]62366[/story_link]
Speaking on what fuels poverty in the country, Akintoye said: "Government has no plan or ideas about how to help or assist the younger generation make it in life.
"I know this country and I have studied it a lot and I know the insight of the problem of this country. Nigeria has no business being poor; Nigerians have no business being poor.”
He lamented the migration of Nigerians to foreign countries in search of opportunities, stating that “We are losing the people who should be here building our economy on daily basis. It's the people who develop society, not capital, not machinery. It's human minds that develop society”.
He also commented on the criminal activities of herdsmen and berated the authorities for not doing more to address the situation.
He said: “I see the conflict between the people of Nigeria getting more and more intense. We have reached the point when a section of a society is out to kill people, and they are coming out to say that they are going to kill more.
"But the situation has come to a stage, where leaders needs to come out and find solutions.”