Tinubu Leading ‘Most Hungry Country In The World’ With Hungry Citizens More Than Ghana’s Population –Analyst | Sahara Reporters

Zekeri said the scale of the alleged hunger crisis was so significant that if those affected formed a separate country, its population would surpass that of Ghana.

Political activist and public affairs commentator, Idris Zekeri Jnr, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the worsening food crisis in Nigeria, claiming that about 35 million Nigerians are now acutely hungry.

Zekeri made the remarks while appearing on a podcast seen by SaharaReporters via Symfoni TV.

He also condemned the Nigerian Government’s response to concerns raised by Catholic bishops about hunger and hardship in the country, lamenting that the administration “effectively insulted” eminent leaders of the Catholic Church.

According to him, the situation should concern Nigerians across religious divides.

“They had gone ahead to effectively insult eminent leaders of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. As a Catholic, I feel personally disrespected,” Zekeri said.

“And as a collective, I think that all men of good faith, all religious leaders, whether Catholic, Pentecostals, Anglican, Protestants, Methodists, Muslims, and even traditional worshippers should be irritated by the conduct of these people within the Tinubu administration.”

Zekeri said the Catholic bishops’ meeting with President Tinubu was prompted by concerns over the increasing number of Nigerians struggling to afford food.

“The bishops had gone to meet the president to tell the president that Nigerians are hungry,” he said.

“What are the facts? When this administration came into office, we had about 19 million hungry Nigerians. As we speak today, that number is now 35 million, acutely hungry Nigerians.”

He explained that by “hungry Nigerians,” he was referring to people facing severe food insecurity and who are uncertain about where their next meal would come from.

“When I say hungry Nigerians, I’m not talking about you that you sit down after you have swallowed a bar two hours ago and you say, ‘I’m hungry.’ That’s not what it means to be a hungry Nigerian,” he said.

“I’m talking of Nigerians who wake up in the morning and are not sure where the next meal will come from. 35 million of them.”

Zekeri said the scale of the alleged hunger crisis was so significant that if those affected formed a separate country, its population would surpass that of Ghana.

“And I said it in the sister station, that if we form the Federal Republic of Hungry Nigerians, it will be a country that is bigger than the Ghana of today,” he said.

“So if you have the Federal Republic of Hungry Nigerians led by President Bola Tinubu, of course he’s leading the most hungry country in the world as we speak.”

He further argued that Nigeria has the highest number of people facing acute hunger globally.

“Nigeria has the highest number of acutely hungry people anywhere in the world,” Zekeri said.

He said the hypothetical “Federal Republic of Hungry Nigerians” would have a population larger than several African countries.

“That country would be bigger than Ghana. That country would be two times the size in population of Benin Republic,” he said.

“That country would be half the size of South Africa, half the size of Britain, 40% the size of Russia. Hungry, only hungry Nigerians.”