‘N3,000 can sustain average Nigerian daily’ – Reno Omokri

Nigeria's Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has asserted that an average Nigerian can manage on N3,000 per day. He argued that poverty assessments should take into account the economic conditions specific to each country. During a discussion on the rising cost of living and international poverty standards on the TV program Sunday Politics, Omokri cited his own experience, stating that he witnessed prices for yam, rice, maize, and fruits while visiting a market without security.

He concluded that N3,000 was sufficient for an average Nigerian to live on daily. However, Omokri recognized that the same amount would not suffice to cover basic needs in the United States due to the disparity in living costs, emphasizing that context matters. He also commented on the World Bank's global poverty benchmark of less than $2 a day, arguing that international standards must be considered within the context of individual countries' economic realities.

When questioned about his disagreement with the World Bank's benchmark, Omokri acknowledged that the institution uses a global standard that has been applied internationally.