A Nation Carried By The Few: Nigeria’s Silent Economic Burden

By BenTV Reporter / Posted August 4, 2025

In a country of over 230 million citizens, it is sobering to consider that only a sliver of the population earns enough to cover the basic cost of daily survival. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies, is being quietly held up by the financial resilience of a fraction of its people and even they are now buckling under the weight.

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Recent financial insight, drawn from market data and labour assessments, places the number of Nigerians earning above ₦200,000 per month, just enough to cover the average cost of food, transport, water, and housing at a mere 2.4 per cent of the population. Put differently, less than 1.1 million individuals in the entire nation have incomes that match or exceed the present cost of living.

This statistic reveals far more than a gap between rich and poor; it highlights a systemic imbalance where a disproportionately small base of earners supports a vast dependent population. With fuel at ₦900 per litre, a loaf of bread priced at ₦1,300, and a modest meal costing at least ₦1,500, the daily economic reality is unsparing. The average urban survival threshold, based on conservative estimates, now hovers around ₦160,000 per month, a figure well beyond the reach of most working Nigerians.

Labour data shows from Intel… that although Nigeria’s working-age population stands at around 126.5 million, only about 47 million are meaningfully employed. When these 47 million are juxtaposed against the 183 million people, children, the elderly, and unemployed adults, who rely on them either directly or indirectly, the ratio becomes stark. For every employed Nigerian, there are nearly four others depending on their income, food, shelter, or support.

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What makes this imbalance more galling is the role and rewards of Nigeria’s political class. While millions struggle to earn even ₦50,000 a month, elected and appointed officials often live in a parallel reality. Their lives are state-sponsored to a degree that borders on feudal entitlement: chauffeured cars, domestic staff, escorts, flight allowances, security details, food stipends, and housing — all drawn from public coffers. Some spend virtually nothing of their personal income while dispensing moral lectures to citizens on sacrifice and patience.

Against this backdrop, the silent champions of Nigeria’s economy remain largely uncelebrated: the diaspora. Nigerians living abroad have consistently remitted more than $20 billion annually back home, directly supporting families, fuelling small businesses, and quietly funding education, healthcare, and housing. This flow of funds from everyday citizens abroad arguably contributes more to national development than many budgeted institutional efforts at home.

If a society is judged by how it values contribution, then Nigeria must confront some difficult truths. It cannot continue to elevate political privilege while ignoring the pressure on its working class and the sacrifices of its diaspora. It is time to reimagine accountability, and a credible path may lie in democratic innovation.

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One such idea, worthy of immediate consideration, is a (Presidential) Public Citizen Score Poll, a quarterly national and (states too can adopt) rating system assessing the performance of ministers and political appointees. This scorecard, overseen by an independent civic panel and supported by citizen feedback, would reflect public trust and delivery of service. Any official scoring below a set benchmark would be dismissed within six months to one year not by presidential fiat, but by popular mandate. Mr. President will be at peace to say, that is a public rating report. It would not only decentralise executive power but restore the people’s role as custodians of leadership.

Nigeria must develop its own system not simply to mimic others, but to make governance truly responsive. In a time when fewer than 3 in 100 citizens can afford to live with dignity, the question is no longer about reform but about survival. A nation where the few are forced to carry the many cannot endure indefinitely. But with courage, scrutiny, and structural accountability, it may yet find its balance and its future.

By extension this can be applicable to other African countries that seek better leadership, inclusive governance and a patronage of her citizens abroad and as we noted nations adopting stronger internal policies.

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Note: This article was first published by BenTV:
https://bentelevision.com/a-nation-carried-by-the-few-nigerias-silent-economic-burden

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