Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has weighed in on the culture of giving money to street beggars in Nigeria, arguing that the practice may be reducing the level of public frustration needed to trigger major social change.
The musician made the remarks during a recent interview with ObjecTV, where he discussed poverty, street begging and the attitude of Nigerians towards people living in difficult conditions.
Kuti suggested that people experiencing severe poverty would naturally have strong reasons to demand changes from the government and society because of the hardship they endure.
However, he argued that the occasional financial assistance beggars receive from members of the public helps them survive their immediate needs and may reduce the desperation that could otherwise push them to protest or demand significant change.
According to the singer, the small amounts of money handed to people begging on the streets provide temporary relief, preventing their frustration from reaching a level that could inspire collective action.
He said: “The beggars are the ones who are supposed to be angry in order to cause revolution, but since we give them money from time to time, they are not hungry enough to be angry.”