Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano, has called for greater empathy among Nigeria’s elite towards the poor.
The monarch highlighted a disconnect between the country’s leaders and the realities faced by many citizens.
Speaking at a public lecture in Abuja commemorating the 60th birthday of Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers, Sanusi said many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is.
“As an economist, former CBN governor, I see the numbers. I did not know about poverty until I became emir,” he said.
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“And you go to the village and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, the two-block classrooms without roofs.
“Do we love the people, or do we just love ruling over them? What are our priorities? We make overheads and underpasses for ourselves in the cities, while in the rural areas we cannot reach hospitals. We are in a crisis; how we get out should be our focus.”
Sanusi added that his experience as emir exposed him to the harsh living conditions in rural areas, including inadequate water supplies and dilapidated school buildings.
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“Do we love the people, or do we just love ruling over them? What are our priorities?” he asked.
