Weaponized Poverty

GOVERNMENTAL, COMMUNAL, AND INDIVIDUAL APPROACH Today’s episode is about fighting weaponized poverty. Someone once said that when you fight corruption, it fights back. The same goes for fighting weaponized poverty. In Nigeria, there are people who benefit greatly from poverty, and they will fight to their last breath to keep the status quo. Listen in for more…. CONNECT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the news...

Today, let’s discuss socio-economic stagnation. This is what comes inevitably if the ruling class continues to weaponize poverty. When I was younger, my mother used to warn us against associating with the bad gangs in society. These bad elements are called “egbe kegbe” in the Yoruba language. Listen in for more…. CONNECT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter to read the book and watch the documentary...

OTHER IMPACTS Today, let’s talk about some of the fallouts from weaponized poverty. We’ve already established that the elite can create oppressor apologists by inducing scarcity, giving out handouts, and establishing economic dependency. These created blind loyalists are often quick to make ad-hominem attack against anyone who challenges their favorite oppressor. Listen in for more…. CONNECT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

PRAY FOR THE NATION Today’s topic takes a look at Stockholm Syndrome as an instrument of weaponized poverty. So what is Stockholm Syndrome? According to Healthline, Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological response that causes survivors of abuse to sympathize with their abusers. How then can this be a weapon of poverty? Well, let’s start with the masking of rights as favors. Listen for more… CONNECT:...

I BETTER PASS MY NEIGHBOR This episode explores some of the ways that we as a people, are complicit in the weaponization of poverty. Let’s begin with bribery and corruption. Nigerians naturally like to get ahead. Of course we do. We are a nation of brilliant minds. We also have a reputation of being generous. We tend to tip when someone helps us get ahead. You see this at airports, hospitals, or e...

FORGET YOUR SORROWS This topic focuses on the use of distractions by the ruling class to shift attention away from weapons of poverty. Distractions are also used to pacify an agitated citizenry and to prevent protests and uprisings. Many modern and ancient civilizations use distractions to maintain the status quo, and to keep their ruling class in power. Listen in for more…. CONNECT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign u...

Today’s topic focuses on gentrification as a weapon of poverty. I grew up in a community that had little to no road network, and a lack of clean water. Sadly, when the ruling class eventually brought development to poor communities like mine, it came in the form of gentrification. Investopedia defines gentrification as the transformation of a community from low value to high value, often leading t...

Today’s topic is on the use of money as a weapon of poverty. In 2024, Nigeria and most of the world faced some of the worst inflation in history. Therefore, mandatory monetary policies are being implemented to curb said inflation. But how helpful are some of these monetary policies? Many will argue that some of these policies cause more economic harm to the working class than good. Lets look at cu...

THE POWERS THAT BE This topic explores some of the ways that the government might be involved in the weaponization of poverty. It was W.E.B. Dubois, an American sociologist and pan-Africanist who proposed the concept of the Talented Tenth. In this excerpt from his book, the Talented Tenth, he said: “The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of educati...

Today’s topic focuses on the use of exclusion as a weapon of poverty. Every opportunity has its gatekeeper. These are the people, or systems that prevent anyone from getting it unless they meet certain criteria. If you’re from the working class, how many times have you sought employment with a big company only to be told there’s no vacancy? Yet, every year, they recruit new candidates through a cl...

In Nigeria, calling someone oga or madam is a system of formality which is now gradually turning into a form of master-servant relationship. The Oga or Madam, seem to assume superiority and look down on people when addressed this way. You don’t believe me? Listen in for more…. CONNECT: ⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter to read the book and watch the documentary⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Join the conversation on FB⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch...

Today’s topic is about the working class, and the use of slave wages as an instrument of weaponized poverty. In Nigeria, if your family isn’t rich or politically connected, there used to be two options for a young person to escape poverty: A. by serving an apprenticeship or B. By gaining western education. Listen in for more…. CONNECT: ⁠Sign up for the newsletter to read the book and watch the doc...

This episode is an introduction to a short series on Weaponized Poverty in Nigeria and beyond. In subsequent episodes, we will examine 10 instruments of weaponized poverty. I recognize that while some families struggle to earn N50,000 monthly, an equivalent of roughly $30 in 2025, there are some families that earn a million naira daily. If you live in Nigeria & none of these is your reality, t...

Exclusion! Gentrification, Stockholm Syndrome! Hi there, I’m Stephen Nwaloziri. Weaponized Poverty is a growing problem in Nigeria, and on the African Continent. I’m here to tackle it. If you would like to participate, then tune in to Weaponized Poverty, wherever you get your podcasts. To read the book and watch the documentary, sign up below. http://subscribepage.io/WeaPov