Over 17.9m Nigerians Fall into Poverty in Three Years — Report

Nigeria recorded the world’s largest increase in multidimensional poverty between 2021 and 2024, with 17.9 million people slipping into deprivation, according to a new global report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, published on Monday, found that Nigeria experienced a sharp reversal in poverty reduction after making progress between 2018 and 2021.

Nigeria recorded a larger increase in the number of multidimensionally poor people than any other country covered by the report, surpassing Afghanistan, which recorded an increase of 5.3 million people during its latest assessment period.

The report stated: “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.”

The findings raise fresh concerns about worsening living conditions in Africa’s most populous country and the challenges facing efforts to reduce poverty.

Nigeria’s Poverty Rate Rises to 38.7%

The report’s harmonised historical data showed that Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty rate increased from 33 per cent in 2021 to 38.7 per cent in 2024, representing a rise of 5.7 percentage points.

The number of people affected increased from 72.21 million to 90.07 million over the same period, while Nigeria’s Multidimensional Poverty Index value rose from 0.175 to 0.208, indicating worsening deprivation.

However, the report’s separate 2024 national estimate placed the number of multidimensionally poor Nigerians at 113.32 million, representing 48.7 per cent of the population.

The two figures are based on different statistical approaches: the historical comparison uses harmonised data to track changes over time, while the national estimate uses the latest survey without the same historical adjustments.

The report also found that 28.7 per cent of Nigerians experienced severe multidimensional poverty, while another 18.1 per cent were vulnerable to falling into multidimensional poverty.

It noted that Nigeria was among only five countries that recorded increases in multidimensional poverty during their respective assessment periods. The others were Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Guinea and Kyrgyzstan.

Poverty Goes Beyond Income

Unlike conventional poverty measurements based primarily on income or consumption, the Multidimensional Poverty Index examines overlapping disadvantages affecting people’s daily lives.

These include inadequate nutrition, child mortality, limited access to education and healthcare, poor housing, insufficient sanitation, lack of electricity and unsafe drinking water.

Individuals are classified as multidimensionally poor when they experience deprivation in at least one-third of the index’s weighted indicators across health, education and living standards.

The approach provides a broader picture of poverty by showing not only how many people are affected but also the specific hardships they face.

Kebbi, Yobe and Sokoto Among Worst-Affected States

The report identified significant differences in the severity and nature of deprivation across Nigeria’s states.

Kebbi, Yobe and Sokoto were among the states with the highest multidimensional poverty burdens, while Lagos recorded the lowest Multidimensional Poverty Index value.

The report highlighted differences between Yobe and Sokoto, despite their similar MPI values.

“Deprivations in nutrition and child mortality contribute more to poverty in Yobe, while in Sokoto, deprivations in water and electricity are stronger contributors,” it stated.

The findings suggest that poverty-reduction policies must account for local conditions rather than rely exclusively on uniform national interventions.

While some communities face severe nutritional and healthcare challenges, others experience greater deprivation in basic infrastructure and essential services.

More Than 1.2 Billion People Live in Acute Poverty Globally

The report estimated that 1.2 billion people, representing 18.9 per cent of the population covered by the index, lived in acute multidimensional poverty worldwide.

Of this number, 534 million experienced severe poverty, while another 952 million people were classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 616 million multidimensionally poor people, representing more than half of the global total.

Children were disproportionately affected. The report found that 617 million multidimensionally poor people worldwide were below the age of 18.

“Roughly one in every three children is multidimensionally poor, compared to one in seven adults,” the report stated.

The findings underscore the connection between poverty, limited access to essential services and the long-term prospects of younger generations.

Utomi Warns of Growing Economic Hardship

The report comes amid growing concerns about economic hardship, hunger, insecurity and declining public confidence in government institutions in Nigeria.

Professor of Political Economy Pat Utomi recently warned that worsening living conditions were placing increasing pressure on Nigerians, with millions struggling to afford food and meet basic needs.

He also cautioned that widening inequality between wealthy political elites and impoverished citizens could undermine national stability.

Utomi urged Nigerians to defend democratic values ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that growing hardship and declining confidence in public institutions could have serious consequences for the country.

Nigeria Faces Growing Pressure to Reverse the Trend

The latest findings present a significant challenge for Nigeria’s efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of reducing poverty in all its forms and dimensions by at least half by 2030.

The increase in multidimensional poverty highlights the importance of interventions that go beyond income support to address healthcare, education, nutrition, electricity, water, sanitation and employment.

The report’s state-level findings also point to the need for targeted programmes that respond to the specific causes of deprivation in different communities.

With millions more Nigerians experiencing overlapping forms of hardship, the central challenge for policymakers is turning poverty-reduction commitments into measurable improvements in living conditions.

Source - Punch newspapers