Why Nations Are Poor – And Why 63% of Nigerians (133 million) are Poor [video]

A National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report has revealed that 63% of persons living in Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimensionally poor: “65% of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South. Poverty levels across States vary significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27% in Ondo to a high of 91% in Sokoto.” 

In the video below, I explain why we are still witnessing this level of poverty in a land of  latent abundance. Indeed, Nigeria is wasting years and our leaders are underperforming on their responsibilities. 

This nation has leverageable anchors to lift millions out of poverty. This is simply shameful!  How can 91% of Sokoto people be poor, and the governor qualified himself to even imagine to lead the nation as  a president? This is simply unbelievable on how we do things in this country. I am stunned!

My sincere commendations to NBS for being bold to publish these reports and also my appreciation to the Presidency for not blocking the reports.  I wish the presidential candidates could debate on the substance of the reports.

—Report from NBS

Nigeria launches its most extensive national measure of multidimensional poverty.

The Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Bureau of Statistics today launched the results of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Survey. This survey was a collaborative effort between the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). The survey, which sampled over 56,000 households across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT, was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022, and provides multidimensional poverty estimates at senatorial district level.

Highlights of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index survey reveal that:

• 63% of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimensionally poor.
• The National MPI is 0.257, indicating that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations.
• 65% of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South. Poverty levels across States vary significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27% in Ondo to a high of 91% in Sokoto.
• Over half of the population of Nigeria are multidimensionally poor and cook with dung, wood or charcoal, rather than cleaner energy. High deprivations are also apparent nationally in sanitation, time to healthcare, food insecurity, and housing.
• In general, the incidence of monetary poverty is lower than the incidence of multidimensional poverty across most states. In Nigeria, 40.1% of people are poor according to the 2018/19 national monetary poverty line, and 63% are multidimensionally poor according to the National MPI 2022.
• Multidimensional poverty is higher in rural areas, where 72% of people are poor, compared to 42% of people in urban areas.

The National MPI is reported with a linked Child MPI, which provides additional information on Multidimensional Child Poverty in Nigeria. According to the report:

• Two-thirds (67.5%) of children (0–17) are multidimensionally poor according to the National MPI, and half (51%) of all poor people are children.
• The highest deprivations are in the indicator of child engagements – where over half of poor children lack the intellectual stimulation that is pivotal to early childhood development.
• Child poverty is prevalent in rural areas, with almost 90% of rural children experiencing poverty.
• Across the geo-political zones, the child MPI shows higher poverty in the North-East and North-West (where 90% of children are poor) and lower poverty in the South-East and South-West (74% and 65.1% respectively). The incidence of Child MPI is above 50% in all States and greater than 95% in Bayelsa, Sokoto, Gombe and Kebbi.
• Four million Nigerians – 2.1% of the population – live with a child aged 15–17 who is the first generation in that household to have completed primary school.

The full report which contains further details and insights from the survey is hosted on the NBS website www.nigerianstat.gov.ng. Hard copies can also be obtained from the Data Shop at the NBS Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

Comment on Feed

Comment 1: That’s one of the craziest things about Nigeria. A non performing governor all of a sudden thinks that he will metamorphose to a performing president. We can’t run away from the fact that our constitution must be tinkered with. The potentials of the various States will remain just potentials under the current system. It is hardly surprising that the bulk of the poor are in the North. We need a birth control policy, you cannot give birth endlessly without thinking about taking care of your children rather you are happy that once in 4 years you have an advantage in the election. There’s life beyond the election. If we can get our States to be more functional, the country will become the better for it. Why don’t our policy makers see the connection between population explosion and poverty explosion? With poverty comes insecurity because the poor must eat, even if they have to steal it. We are better off thinking about the public good if not, it will affect all of our private lives. Can’t you see that the developed world are trying their best to manage their population. Yet the ruling party that has performed poorly for the past 8 years is campaigning to retain power.

Comment 2: The root cause of the poverty and any of the symptoms we see manifest in the greater society is strategic ineptitude fueled by corruption, avarice and gold plated stupidity!
We are poor because :
1. We conduct our major export trade in USD and retain same in non Nigerian owned banks. The FX remains abroad and we artificially print Naira to sell to the industries that require them ( but give preference to BDCs that are economic rent seekers) thereby creating huge inflationary pressure on the Naira and causing poverty (poverty is actually lack of productive capacity that is competitive) on a economic grand scale.
2. Education dysfunctionality: since inception there are just slightly over 50k chartered accountants in Nigeria (by ICAN rolls) and these include the dead and departed. Medical doctors are under 30k ( as at 2018) and by 2020 40% of them have quit Nigeria for greener pastures. Same goes for engineers, actuaries, realtors, machinists! The more of these a society has the more wealth is created. Check China, Turkey, Germany etc.
3. Low value addition : from crude oil to cocoa, cassava chips to sesame seed, we export without benefication. And we import crazy things like egg shells ( yes eggshells in millions of dollars)
Etc.

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