Former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, has rejected claims that Nigeria is the poorest country in the world.

Aliyu noted that Nigeria has so many negative narratives attached to it and if they are not stopped it would infringe on the positive things the country plans on doing.

Aliyu shared his concerns at the National Spokespersons Summit organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations on Tuesday in Abuja.

He stated that his country home in Nupe land has no street beggars, adding that Nigerians at the sublevel still have strong values.

He queried the value system in the country asking if it’s “true that we never had value as a country? We might have had values as a community, maybe as a tribe to say.

“Honestly, I can tell you this from Niger State, I have not seen a beggar from the Nupe speaking area of Niger State, a beggar sitting on the street begging ditto Yoruba.

“So you see, it means that at the sublevel, we have some values but that has not transcended to be a national value. Sometimes, we say we have values for the respect of elders, values for honesty and co. If we have values for honesty, we will not be where we are as a country today.”

Speaking further, the former governor insisted that Nigeria is not world’s poverty capital, adding that the country has only failed to properly harness its wealth for the benefit of all.

“Is it true that we are the capital of poverty? I don’t think so.

“I think what we have been doing was not harnessing our wealth properly to the extent that people can see. That is why I don’t blame anyone who goes to mortgage his four years for N200 or for two years for a sachet of indomie.

“Why? Because many of our elected leaders never go back or even if they do they only go to show off.

“Some people say give me, I won’t see you again. This narrative says we must find a way to make it and the only way to make it is to force those elected people to go back to their constituencies,” he added