Posted by Chinenye on Wed 23rd Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Former Cross River Governor Donald Duke says Nigeria has not grown enough to match its huge rise in population.
(Donald Duke. Photo Credit: RealDonaldduke)
A former governor of Cross River State named Donald Duke says Nigeria's economy has actually gotten smaller, not bigger, over the decades.
He spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday about the country's money problems.
Duke explained that Nigeria's government is spending roughly the same amount of money today as it did in 1979 when a former president named Shehu Shagari was in power.
Back then, the government spent about 25 billion dollars every year.
Nigeria's population at that time was only about 76 million people.
Today, Nigeria has around 230 million people, but the government is still spending the same 25 billion dollars.
He said that when you do the math, it means Nigeria's economy has not actually grown.
It has actually shrunk because the money is worth less now than it was 46 years ago.
Duke blamed this problem on the government not focusing on making people more productive.
He said the government has not done enough to help Nigerians work and earn money.
Because of this failure, Duke said, many Nigerians are very poor, cannot find jobs, and are struggling to survive.
He said the real job of government is to make sure people can be productive and earn a living while staying safe and living in peace.
Duke also questioned why the government wanted to build a big road from Lagos to Calabar.
He said he would personally enjoy using that road since he lives in both cities, but he asked what the real benefit would be.
He said there are more important things Nigeria should spend money on first, like keeping children in school and helping poor people.
He pointed out that Nigeria has more children out of school than any other country in the world.
Duke also said that tribalism and religious fighting in Nigeria happen because people are desperate and poor, not because Nigerians are naturally tribal.
He explained that when people feel they are missing out on opportunities and resources, they look to their own ethnic group or religion for help and advantages.
But if people had enough and were doing well, he said, nobody would care what part of the country their leader came from.
Finally, Duke said Nigeria needs a clear plan for where the country is going.
He said right now the government just wakes up and does whatever seems important that day, without thinking about the big picture.
He said Nigeria needs to focus everything on making its people more productive so they can earn money and support themselves.