Poverty Rate: 5 States Lead as NBS Figures Exceed World Bank’s Projection

Fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS has disclosed that Nigeria recorded 133 million multi-dimensionally poor citizens In its latest National Poverty Index report.

The NBS used a poverty assessment method known as the Multidimensional Poverty Index as it measured various indexes that identify deprivations across health, education, living standards, work and shocks.

Further data from the NBS report revealed that five states led the list of the top poorest states in 2022 and include Sokoto, Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau.

Sokoto state led the list as 90.5 per cent of its citizens were poor. The second state – Bayelsa recorded 88.5 per cent of poor people, Gombe came third with 86.2 per cent, Jigawa with 84.3 per cent, and Plateau with 84 per cent.

According to the Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO of the NBS, Semiu Adeniran, the recent survey and report conducted using the standard multidimensional poverty survey in Nigeria is the first of its kind.

“The survey was implemented in 2021 to 2022 and it is the largest survey with a sample size of over 56,610 people in 109 senatorial districts in the 36 states of Nigeria,” he said.

He added, “Unlike the Global MPI which uses three dimensions (Health, Education and Living Standards), we added a fourth dimension, Work and Shocks in the 2022 MPI Survey. This fourth dimension as well as other added variables such as food security, water reliability, underemployment, security shocks and school lag, were all added to reflect the current realities and priorities in Nigeria.”

Recall, the World Bank had projected that Nigeria’s poverty rate in 2022 would hit 95.1 million.

Poverty reduction has remained stagnant since the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board in 2015 and this recent data revealing that 133 Million Nigerians now live in poverty has exceeded World Bank’s projection by about 38 million.

This shows a direct contribution to the country’s declining human development index and also defies the Federal government’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.