Nigeria’s rising poverty scourge

It is deplorable that Nigeria has continued to fall deeper into the trap of poverty despite measures to reduce it. Ironically, the country is blessed with enormous human and material resources. According to the 2026 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), an additional 17.9 million Nigerians fell into multidimensional poverty between 2021 and 2024. This made it the largest increase recorded by any country globally.

Nigeria’s case was a reversal in poverty reduction after recording improvements between 2018 and 2021. According to the report, the separate 2024 national estimate put the number of multidimensionally poor Nigerians at 113.32 million. This represents 48.7 per cent of the population.

The UNDP and the OPHI estimate that the national poverty rate grew from 33 per cent (72.21 million people) in 2021 to 38.7 per cent (about 90.07 million people) in 2024. This represents an increase of 5.7 percentage points.

Also, Nigeria’s MPI value rose from 0.175 to 0.208, indicating worsening deprivation. The assessment does not measure income alone. It measures overlapping deprivations across health, education, and living standards, including access to electricity, drinking water, sanitation, adequate housing, and nutrition.

Kebbi, Yobe, and Sokoto states reportedly experience the most severe poverty burdens in Nigeria. The lowest index value nationwide is Lagos. In Yobe, deprivations in nutrition and child mortality are factors contributing to poverty. In Sokoto, deprivations in water and electricity are the major contributory factors.

The report noted that in absolute terms, “the largest increase in the number of poor people is seen in Nigeria, where although poverty had decreased in the previous period (2018-2021), in the recent period (2021-2024), 17.9 million people became multidimensionally poor, followed by 5.3 million in Afghanistan.” This has raised concerns about worsening living conditions and setbacks in poverty reduction as well as Nigeria’s progress towards the UN’s target of significantly reducing poverty by 2030.

Apart from Nigeria, four other countries recorded increases in multidimensional poverty during their assessment periods. They are Afghanistan, with an additional 5.3 million poor people (2015/16-2022/23), Central African Republic (2010-2018/19), Guinea (2016-2018), and Kyrgyzstan (2018-2023).

Worldwide, about 1.2 billion people lived in acute multidimensional poverty. Out of this number, 534 million reportedly experienced severe poverty, while 952 million were said to be vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.

Globally, 617 million multidimensionally poor people were children below 18 years. This, according to the report, means that roughly one in every three children is multidimensionally poor, compared to one in seven adults. With 616 million poor people, representing half of the global total, the sub-Saharan Africa accounted for the largest concentration of poor people in the world.    

No doubt, poverty is a present reality in Nigeria as many Nigerians undergo different levels of suffering. Cost of living, including the prices of fuel, transportation, rent, medical treatment, education, and food items is high.

Millions of Nigerian children are out of school mainly due to lack of resources to train them. Some of them emerge later in life to become bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers tormenting the society. Some die prematurely from some childhood diseases because access to primary health care centres is limited. About 11 million under five Nigerian children experienced severe child food poverty in 2024.

Adults who cannot access affordable medical treatment resort to taking herbal concoctions that have no dosage. Some of them have serious side effects that end up causing more damage to the body. The recent death of up to 48 people in some parts of Ondo State after taking some herbal concoctions is a typical example.     

Government often boasts of embarking on bold reforms aimed at making the economy better. In his Independence Day national broadcast, President Bola Tinubu noted the real GDP growth of over four per cent year-on-year, the increase in external reserves, and the non-oil export earnings surpassing $6.1 billion in 2025, among others.

But, the 17.9 million new poor in the country shows that these reforms are not working. Farmers still produce at a very high cost, which is passed down to the final consumers. Infrastructure is poorly managed. Manufacturers spend a fortune on electricity and other things. This invariably leads to high cost of goods and services. 

Government should tweak its economic policies and come out with comprehensive poverty alleviation programmes. Its cash transfer of N20,000 is not helpful enough. Distribution of rice and bread cannot solve the hunger problem. Its social intervention is selective and inappropriate to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

To start with, it should lower food and transportation costs by providing the necessary infrastructure to help farmers and transporters in their business. The roads must be fixed to limit the wear and tear on vehicles transporting food items across the country. Efficient railways are also important in the efforts to make foods accessible and affordable. Farmers should be protected from terrorist attacks and assisted with improved seeds and fertilizer, among other things.

Nigeria’s rising poverty must be curbed. What is lacking is efficient management of resources. Leaders should avoid life of profligacy and always endeavour to deploy resources where they are mostly needed.

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