President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria has suddenly become poor as a result of the drop in crude oil prices in the international market.
Buhari said this on Thursday at a meeting with the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, Babatunde Osotimehin.
He said Nigerians are not feeling the exact severity of the situation due to his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
“It has been a very difficult year for Nigeria,” Femi Adesina, President Buhari’s media aide quoted him as saying.
“Before we came to office, petroleum sold for about $100 per barrel. Then it crashed to $37, and now oscillates between $40 and $45 per barrel.
“Suddenly, we’re a poor country, but commitment to transparency and accountability is not making people know that there is severe shortage,” he added.
President Buhari thanked the UN agency for its commitment to saving lives in Nigeria, particularly of women and children, asking them to bear with Nigeria in any area where the country is not living up to its responsibilities for now.
Buhari said the situation in the north-east is looking up, as internally displaced persons had begun returning to their farmlands, with the guarantee of relative security.
Osotimehin, a former minister of health in Nigeria, pledged UNFPA’s commitment in promoting healthcare facilities across the country.
He said Nigeria can reduce the rate of maternal mortality in the country if health authorities pay more attention to access to health facilities, and the human resources to run them.