Veteran Nollywood actor Chiwetalu Agu has stated that prayer alone cannot eradicate poverty, emphasizing the need for hard work and diligence.
In a viral video shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Agu dismissed the widespread belief that poverty can be eliminated solely through prayer.
According to him, while prayer is powerful and connects people to divine wisdom and favour, it remains ineffective without corresponding effort.
“Yes, prayer connects you to divine wisdom and favour, but work is the channel through which blessings manifest,” he explained.
Agu urged Nigerians to abandon the “manna mentality” the expectation that wealth will appear miraculously and instead embrace hard work. He stressed that even divine favour requires human participation and commitment.
“Poverty does not die by fire. I repeat, poverty cannot die by fire. You can pray from now till tomorrow, but if you don’t work hard, poverty will deal with you,” he said.
“Prayer is powerful, yes it connects you to divine favour but work is the vehicle through which those blessings are delivered. You can pray all day for success, but if you fail to plan, walk, or act, you will remain poor. God blesses effort, not idleness.”