Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has warned that the rampant poverty that plagues oil-rich Nigeria felt most acutely in the north is fueling the religious violence now tearing at the nation.

Speaking Monday night in Lagos at the ThisDay Awards, an annual ceremony hosted by Nigerian newspaper magnate Nduka Obaigbena, Clinton admitted he remained “really worried” about the security challenges in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.

“You can’t just have this level of inequality persist. That’s what’s fueling all this stuff,” Clinton was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

New government statistics released Monday showed that in Nigeria’s northwest and northeast, regions besieged by Islamic insurgents, about 75 percent of the people live in poverty.

Analysts say that poverty, despite decades of military rule by leaders from the north, coupled with a lack of formal education has driven the region’s exploding youth population toward extremism.

Clinton urged Nigerians to embrace their similarities, and asked the government to speed public works projects such as providing electricity.

“It is almost impossible to cure a problem based on violence with” violence, Clinton said. “You also have to give people something to look forward to when they get up in the morning.”

However, Clinton acknowledged Nigeria cannot rule out using military or police force when dealing with the instability.www.dailytrust.com

clinton is right .
poverty and a complete lack of education has lead nigeria to where it is.
revolution is the only thing left to kill the corruption .

somebody said this the other day, and he was labelled a BH sympathiser

somebody said it during the mend crisis and he was said to be spot on!

Now Clinton is saying what we know already- these former oyinbo officials are really raking in money from Thisday sha, free money
even at that the Thisday series is still as watery as ever! they need to up their game

Funny indeed.

From the North we have the richest black in the World. From the North We have mast past Presidents. From the north we have most prominent Nigerians. Yet they are the poorest? That is the report they will send to US to justify their killings. So the question is, are those they are killing the cause of their poverty? How much does it cost to import rocket lunchers and warring arms? If they have sponsors that are willing to invest in their killings, why wont they sponsor them to alleviate their poverty.

Clinton should come to the villages in the south and see poverty yet they are not killing people.

But Sanusi was almost crucified when he said same. why is it news now? cos it came from a former president of the United State? smh

poverty is not the reason for bombing in nigeria. it is the satellite picture of nigeria, that is causing the problem. They are looking at the satellite picture in the north. and Nigeria as problem. but the nigeria media is scared of the govt of nigeria to tell the truth.