A recent report by the United Nations Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative has revealed that Nigeria experienced a significant increase in multidimensional poverty, with 17.9 million more people falling into poverty between 2021 and 2024. This represents a major setback in poverty reduction efforts, as Nigeria had previously recorded improvements in poverty reduction between 2018 and 2021.
The report, which is part of the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, highlights that Nigeria accounted for the largest absolute deterioration in multidimensional poverty among countries with comparable data. The country's multidimensional poverty rate rose from 33.0 per cent in 2021 to 38.7 per cent in 2024, representing an increase of 5.7 percentage points. This translates to an increase in the number of affected Nigerians from 72.21 million to 90.07 million over the same period.
Multidimensional poverty measures deprivation beyond income, including access to education, healthcare, electricity, drinking water, sanitation, adequate housing, and nutrition. The index classifies individuals as multidimensionally poor when they experience deprivation in at least one-third of its weighted indicators covering health, education, and living standards. In Nigeria, the report identified substantial differences in the nature and severity of deprivation across states, with Kebbi, Yobe, and Sokoto being among the states with the highest multidimensional poverty burdens.
The report also noted that 28.7 per cent of Nigerians experienced severe multidimensional poverty, while another 18.1 per cent were vulnerable to multidimensional poverty. A separate 2024 national estimate put the number of multidimensionally poor Nigerians at 113.32 million, representing 48.7 per cent of the population. This estimate uses the latest survey without the adjustments applied to the harmonised historical comparison.
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. Of these, 534 million experienced severe poverty, while another 952 million were classified as vulnerable. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for the largest concentration, with 616 million poor people, representing more than half of the global total.
The findings highlight the challenge facing Nigeria in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of reducing poverty in all its forms and dimensions by at least half by 2030. According to a Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, rising poverty, hunger, insecurity, and declining public confidence in government institutions are pushing Nigerians to the brink. He warned that growing inequality between wealthy politicians and impoverished citizens could seriously undermine national stability.
The report's authors emphasized the need for effective interventions tailored to individual communities, taking into account the differences in deprivation across states. Understanding these differences is essential for designing targeted policies to address poverty and improve living conditions. The report's findings underscore the urgent need for policymakers to address the root causes of poverty and work towards reducing deprivation in key areas such as education, healthcare, and living standards.
Key points
- 17.9 million Nigerians fell into multidimensional poverty between 2021 and 2024.
- Nigeria accounted for the largest absolute deterioration in multidimensional poverty among countries with comparable data.
- The country's multidimensional poverty rate rose from 33.0 per cent in 2021 to 38.7 per cent in 2024.
