Business mogul and 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii has decried the increasing poverty in Ebonyi State.
Dr. Oddi in a statement he issued in commemoration of the 2025 International Youth Day, however, called on the youth population in the state and Nigeria at large to remain resolute and determined in their quest for a society that offers everyone the opportunity to thrive.
Decrying the burgeoning negative statistics of “multi-dimensional poverty” in Ebonyi State, Dr. Odii sad that there has been a progressive “systemic failure in governance” which has sapped good life out of the people of the state.
According to him, “in Ebonyi State today, the vast potential of our young people is being obstructed, not by lack of talent, energy, or ambition, but by a systemic failure of leadership and governance to deliver meaningful opportunities for sustainable development and progress. The manifest reality is that Ebonyi youth continue to grapple in excruciating socio-economic challenges.
“Available statistics shows that endemic poverty remains widespread, with up to 79.8% of Ebonyians living below the poverty line, and 78% of them trapped in multi-dimensional poverty, including orchestrated deprivation in access to healthcare, sanitation, education, clean water, nutrition, and housing. Ebonyi also ranks 32nd out of 36 states, in the Ease of Doing Business Index, placing it last among Southeastern states. More unfortunate, we have failed to attract any Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the period of 2023 till date, unlike our Southeastern counterparts, which secured several multi-million-dollar industrial projects.
“The 2024 Subnational Audit Efficacy (SAE) Index, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative released in early 2025 assesses state-level transparency and accountability via audit practices. Ebonyi was at 34th place (out of 36 states), scoring just 7%. This low ranking suggests poor audit efficacy and limited transparency in public financial management. These realities represents not just statistics but shattered dreams and wasted possibilities.”
Dr. Odii noted that “youth unemployment and underemployment remain alarmingly high. Tens of thousands of graduates and school leavers roam the streets without jobs or access to sustainable livelihoods. The local economy, skewed toward patronage and extractive politics, fails to offer our youths meaningful space for innovation or entrepreneurship. And the rising cost of living continues to choke our underpaid working-class and vulnerable households. Food insecurity, housing shortages, and outrageously rising house rent, as well as decaying infrastructure, paint a grim picture of survival, not progress. The foregoing and more are pressing realities of great concern calling for solutions. “
The PDP governorship candidate however, insisted that despite the challenges facing the youth and people of the state, there is hope for a better tomorrow.
He said: “it is worthy of note that amid these challenges, through resilience, Ebonyi youth remain spirited, enterprising, and courageous, building small ventures, leading start-ups, breaking barriers in sports, entertainment, fashion, and community organizing. It gladdens to know that our youths are doing so without reasonable systemic support, often with limited capital, and in the face of apathy from those in power. But trust me, this paradox of enormous potential trapped by poor governance must end someday, especially if we unite our voices. This isn’t just my hope but the true representation of my deepest commitment. And while we brace up on the path forward, we must transition our collective hope for a better Ebonyi into meaningful actions.
“As your biggest fan, I charge and invite you all to actively participate in building a functional leadership system that would believe in and support you, not a governance structure that weaponizes poverty or stifles your momentum as a control mechanism.
“This International Youth Day must go beyond rhetoric. It must be the launchpad for bold, local actions that align with the SDGs. You must be driven by your determined voice, your innovative push, and creativity. Especially, resolving to unleash your united power of change to create a state that supports, uplifts, and truly empowers. Make no mistakes about it. The future we seek is not something to wait for. It is something to create now and together.
