Seun Kuti Says Giving Alms to Beggars Delays Nigeria’s Revolution
Seun Kuti told ObjecTV in an interview published September 14, 2026 that giving alms to street beggars is delaying the revolution Nigeria needs. 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.’ Kuti argued that beggars should be angry enough to spark change, but the alms they receive pacify them.
His comment matters because it frames poverty and charity as obstacles to political uprising, linking the issue to his longstanding claim that Nigeria’s politicians are corrupt. The statement drew mixed reactions on social media, with many respondents saying that simply withholding alms from beggars is not enough to trigger a revolution and that deeper systemic change is required.
What should readers know or do? The remark invites reflection on whether addressing corruption, rethinking charitable practices, or fostering genuine anger among the disadvantaged could be more effective routes to national reform. It also prompts consideration of how individual actions, like giving alms, intersect with larger movements for change in Nigeria.