Polygamy is the major cause of poverty in the North - Emir of Kano, Sanusi

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II has blamed polygamy for the high rate of poverty in the northern region of Nigeria.

The Emir made this known while speaking on Friday at the maiden convocation of the Federal University, Gusau, in Zamfara state.

Speaking on the theme ‘the role of universities in nation building’, the monarch who was represented by his aide, Usman Bugaji, stated that polygamy is the reason why poverty is high in the north with the opposite being the case in the south.

"There are people who cannot afford to feed one wife but are ready to marry three wives and have more children than they can feed, talk less of paying for their school fees.

"The poverty level of the North is 80 percent, while in the South, the percentage is 20 percent, simply because of the culture of marrying many wives and producing many children who, at the end, are left on the streets to beg for what to eat'' he said.