A Nigerian man has ignited fierce discussion on social media after sharing his controversial take on escaping poverty. In a viral video on X (formerly Twitter), he argued that people from disadvantaged backgrounds sometimes need a “level of wickedness” to break free from hardship.
He explained bluntly:
“If you’re coming from a poor background, for at least five years of your life, you need a level of wickedness. You’ll see people you love struggling, and you won’t do anything about it — even when you can. That’s how anyone can come out of poverty.”
The man added that climbing out of poverty often means making tough choices: distancing yourself from people or situations that slow your progress and focusing entirely on personal growth before helping others.
The bold statement has divided social media users. Some agree, calling it “harsh but true,” while others warn that such advice could be taken too far if interpreted literally.
💬 Your take? Tough love or going too far?
“For everyone coming from a p00r background, at a level, for atleast 5 years of your life, you need a level of w!ckedness, you’ll see people that you love suff£ring and you won’t do anything about it even when you can. It’s just the way to come out of p0verty, it’s the way… pic.twitter.com/5fvg7igoxW
— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) April 8, 2026
