Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has argued that an average Nigerian can get by on about N3,000 a day, saying poverty should be judged within the economic realities of individual countries.
Omokri made the claim while appearing on Sunday Politics, a television programme where he discussed Nigeria’s rising cost of living and the way poverty is measured globally.
He said his assessment was based on a recent visit to a market where he personally checked the prices of basic food items.
“I went to the market with a journalist, without security, and checked the prices of yam, rice, maize and fruits. From what I saw, N3,000 is enough for an average Nigerian to live on for a day.”
Omokri contrasted Nigeria’s situation with that of the United States, arguing that the same amount would not cover basic daily needs in a country where living costs are significantly higher.
“But in the United States, if you try to live on that amount in a day, it is poverty. So, you have to context, again, context matters.”
The ambassador-designate also addressed the World Bank’s global poverty benchmark, arguing that international poverty figures should be considered alongside the economic conditions of the countries where they are applied.
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He referred to the global benchmark used to identify people living on less than about $2 a day, noting that such an international standard does not necessarily capture differences in local purchasing power and living costs.
When asked whether he disagreed with the World Bank’s benchmark, Omokri maintained that the institution was applying a global standard that has been adopted for international comparisons.