Why Nigeria Still Struggles with Poverty Despite a Strong Naira

I remember when the Naira was at parity with the dollar in the 1970s, yet slums and underdevelopment were already everywhere. Even then we had the infamous Oyenusi robbery and execution, proving wealth alone didn’t stop crime or poverty. The truth is that without an enabling environment, plenty of money can’t build lasting development. We imported too much instead of nurturing local industry, so our strong currency of yesterday hasn’t translated into sustainable growth today. President Tinubu’s Lagos–Calabar highway is a bold move, a modern pyramid that shows what can be achieved even in lean times. If we keep creating the right conditions, Nigeria can finally turn wealth into real progress. As the Bible reminds us, ‘the poor you will always have,’ but policy and vision can change whose faces we see in the slums.

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