I Didn’t Know Real Poverty Until I Became Emir – Sanusi

The Emir of Kano and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has revealed that his real understanding of poverty only came after he ascended the throne as Emir.

Sanusi made this remark during a goodwill message at a public lecture titled “Weaponization of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria”, held in Abuja on Saturday to mark the 60th birthday of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

“Many elites in Nigeria don’t truly understand what poverty is,” Sanusi said. “As an economist and former CBN Governor, I saw the numbers—but I didn’t really know poverty until I became Emir.”

He recounted his experiences visiting rural communities:
“You go to the villages and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, schools with two block classrooms and no roofs. It makes you ask: do we really love the people, or do we just love ruling over them?”

Sanusi criticized the government’s misplaced priorities, noting how infrastructure like overhead bridges and underpasses are focused on urban areas, while many rural communities lack access to basic healthcare.

“We are in a crisis,” he said. “And the real question we should be asking is: how do we get out of it?”

He urged Nigerian leaders to embrace empathy and genuine concern for the people they serve.

Also speaking at the event, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai lamented the trend of electing poor-quality leaders.

“We keep electing people who only know how to grab power but have no clue what to do with it,” El-Rufai said.

Adding to the discussion, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, argued that many of the cases seen in hospitals are rooted in social and economic hardship rather than medical issues.

He blamed corruption and bad governance for Nigeria’s deepening poverty and urged citizens to take responsibility by voting for credible leadership.