ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to establish clear, time-bound, and publicly measurable targets for poverty reduction. This appeal follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's declaration that Nigeria would "defeat poverty." The organization emphasizes that the success of the administration's economic policies should be measured by improvements in the daily lives of Nigerians.
According to ActionAid Nigeria, the government's progress should be assessed through concrete indicators, including household incomes, food security, employment, access to healthcare and education, social protection, and community safety. The organization's Country Director, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, stated that Nigerians should be able to hold the government accountable for its commitment through clear, measurable results.
The World Bank's latest assessment estimates that 50.8% of Nigerians, representing about 123 million people, lived in extreme poverty in 2025. Furthermore, 69.6% of the population lived below the $4.20-a-day poverty line for lower-middle-income countries. Despite positive macroeconomic indicators, including a 4.43% year-on-year growth in real Gross Domestic Product in the second quarter of 2026, ActionAid stresses that economic growth alone is not sufficient to demonstrate that poverty is being defeated.
ActionAid also raises concerns about food insecurity, citing the Food and Agriculture Organisation's assessment that nearly 36.3 million Nigerians faced severe acute food insecurity during the June-August 2026 lean season. About 2.1 million people faced emergency levels of food insecurity. The organization notes that insecurity remains a significant obstacle to poverty reduction and agricultural development, particularly where farmers cannot safely access their farms.
To address these challenges, ActionAid urges the government to ensure that investments in irrigation, mechanization, improved seeds, storage, transportation, and agricultural infrastructure reach smallholder farmers, especially women farmers. The organization also recommends strengthening climate-resilient and agroecological farming practices.
Dr. Mamedu emphasizes that the government should measure prosperity not only through economic growth but also by determining whether Nigerians can afford nutritious food, secure decent jobs, farm safely, and live without fear in their communities. He adds that if Nigeria is truly entering an "age of prosperity," the progress should be reflected in "numbers, targets, and timelines," including the number of Nigerians moving out of poverty.
ActionAid calls on the Federal Government to translate the President's Independence Day commitments into measurable targets for poverty reduction, household incomes, food security, employment, social protection, and community safety. The organization believes that this will enable Nigerians to hold the government accountable for its commitment to defeating poverty.
Key points
- ActionAid Nigeria challenges FG to set clear targets for poverty reduction
- 123 million Nigerians lived in extreme poverty in 2025
- Insecurity and food insecurity remain significant obstacles to poverty reduction
