NIGERIA LOSING BATTLE AGAINST EXTREME POVERTY
ABUJA - Nigeria currently has 89.6 million people living in extreme poverty as against India’s 71.5 million.
The 86.9 million figure for Nigerians represents nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population.
Nigeria is struggling to eradicate poverty among its citizens after becoming the leading country with extreme poverty in the world, according to The World Poverty Clock.
‘The World Poverty Clock’ report released recently showed that Nigeria overtook India in the latest ranking.
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Nigeria currently has 89.6 million people living in extreme poverty as against India’s 71.5 million according to the report.
The 86.9 million figure for Nigerians represents nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population.
Nigeria’s Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed says a national discourse on birth rate is needed.
Madam Ahmed recently came under criticism after saying that the government is looking at ways to limit Nigeria’s population growth.
She considered the population growth of Nigeria a “great challenge” to prosperity.
Zainab Ahmed told the BBC that Nigeria’s economy is diversifying to meet the challenges. But says a discussion needs to take place about Nigeria’s birth rate.
“We inherited a very weak economy and weak fundamentals in 2015 and we are now on course to fix the challenge, she told BBC.
Nigeria last year came out of recession after a long period in the doldrums with five consecutive quarters when the economy shrank.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and is currently the seventh-largest country in the world in terms of population with 180-million people.