President Goodluck Jonathan chose to exhibit what could seem to be poor knowledge of key socio-economic indicators that are at the heart of the well-being of the ordinary citizens. In his address, he reacted to the various reports that had categorised Nigeria as a poor country. He debunked verifiable economic and development reports from reputable local and international institutions like the World Bank that had ranked Nigeria as a poor country where a majority of the population are currently living on a dollar per day. Instead of assuring Nigerian workers on the measures his administration had taken to address growing poverty afflicting Nigerians, Jonathan shocked the entire nation with his treatise on why he thought the country was not poor. It was unbelievable coming from a president.

In the President’s estimation, Nigeria is a rich nation of prosperous citizens and condemned reports about the country’s poverty status. According to him, Nigeria is not a poor country because we are among the top 10 countries of private jet owners in the world! He also said that the listing of the business mogul, Aliko Dangote, as one of the 25 richest persons in the world is a testimony to why he thought that Nigeria was a rich nation. According to the President, Nigerians were the most travelled people on earth; the nation’s Gross Domestic Product is over half a trillion dollars; the economy was growing at almost seven per cent and that Nigerians did not appreciate gifts of small amount of money. The above parameters in the President’s estimation make Nigeria a rich country.