The Damning Statistics On Poverty In Nigeria

The National Bureau of Statistics recently disclosed what most of us already knew- 133 million Nigerians are poor. It is instructive to note that in its 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index Survey released in Abuja the NBS said the figure represents 63 percent of the nation’s population.

It added that the poverty index is mostly experienced in rural areas especially in the north with women and children being the most affected.

The survey was conducted by the 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).

It was gathered that the measure used to calculate the figure was based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) with five components of health, living standard, education, security, and unemployment.

Many Nigerians were not surprised because the indices have been showing for some time. The

Iam pained as I write. In the words of my people from the other side, ‘’another person’s dead body, be like firewood’’. Sadly, now the dead body is not another man’s, but ours. I am talking about the death of a dear colleague and senior; a distinguished member of the National Institute as well as a celebrated army officer whose death, like a handful of other deaths shocks me.

It was not a death at a battle field in any part of our country. It wasn’t as a result of a confrontation with bandits, or terrorists. The report says he was walking home. I do not know if it was a walking exercise or a casual walk; but it says he was walking home. Not at a sports arena but within the barracks. So he wasn’t hit by a civilian okada man or taxi driver.

He was hit by a soldier who was said to be drunk right there at the barracks. I am just too heavy in my heart to ask questions. I leave that at the door steps of the authorities to unravel how we lost a gem. His death reminds me of a similar death; this time of a young, beautiful and enterprising medical doctor killed in Abuja a couple of months ago. I heard she was waiting for a taxi when a driver hit and killed her on the spot.

I heard the driver never stopped to assist and keep her alive. He zoomed off and left her in a pool of her blood. She bled so much that she gave up at the scene leaving parents and loved ones heartbroken and traumatised. These are just few cases that space will permit me to capture. There are other uncelebrated cases recorded daily across our roads. galloping inflation and the insecurity in the rural areas pushed many Nigerians into extreme poverty.

The ravaging insecurity in the north due to the activities of bandits and Boko Haram insurgents is more prevalent in rural areas. In rural areas, their main means of livelihood is agriculture and the insecurity has stopped most of them from going to their farms.

The huge number of poor people and the 20 million out-of-school children is a recipe for disaster. It will have a huge effect on the insecurity in the country. Bad elements have a ready pool of people to recruit for their nefarious activities.

Expectedly I was waiting for our political parties to play politics with the poverty statistics but I have not seen any so far. The reason is that the poverty figures are evenly distributed in states between the two major parties. Sokoto and Bayelsa have the highest number of poor people in Nigeria and they are

That is why I am relieving my archives.

This piece is not a new piece although I have tried to refresh it a bit. It is a piece I wrote about two years ago when I raised my concern over the increasing cases of deaths and injuries involving pedestrians especially joggers as a result of apathy, ignorance, deliberate ignorance or just attitude. I followed up the write up with another piece which equally shed light on the roles and responsibilities of drivers in ensuring the deaths and injury trend is reduced in line with the Federal Road Safety Corps Corporate goals of reducing road traffic crash fatalities by 15percent in 2022.

While the first piece was titled; Pedestrian Safety; Rules for joggers, the second was titled; Driver and Pedestrian Safety. I must confess that despite all that I wrote in the above, I am still disturbed by the disturbing trend which is not changing by the day. This is why I am compelled to write again because of the death scare ahead of the December rush. For starters, I wish to inform you that in June 2022, I moved to a new estate in Abuja and just recently moved into another estate. The estate boasts of tarred and expansive roads but like the case in some of our roads or estates, the appropriate road furniture such as road markings or walkways are absent.

This absence naturally tasks me while jogging in ensuring that all precautions are taken to avoid exposure to a possible pedestrianvehicle collision. Like I wrote earlier, my daily routine to keep fit is a thirty to one hour walking and jogging governed by the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) while Jigawa, Kebbi, and Gombe are governed by the All Progressive Congress ( APC) completing the top 5 states with the poorest people in Nigeria.

The question I ask is, does Nigeria have any business being on the World Poverty Index list? Bayelsa for example is the smallest state in Nigeria with 8 local governments. It collects the 13 percent derivation for oil-producing states and yet is second on the poorest state list in Nigeria. I think Bayelsa’s case is a mystery. It is just a case of poor leadership, simple.

No doubt, leaders at all levels have all failed - pure and simple. How can a country with abundant human and natural resources even be on the poverty list? Every region in the country boasts mineral resources that can generate millions of dollars monthly. The gold in Zamfara can rival the gold in Sierra Leone and South Africa.

Niger State with its vast land can be an agriculture hub and feed the whole country comfortably. Dairy products got from cattle in Adamawa, Sokoto, and Katsina can be a money spinner. Coal from Enugu can generate electricity. A small state like Osun boasts gold, granite, columbite, talc, tantalite, and tourmaline.

Kaduna State boasts different minerals such as granite, laterite, gold, tin, columbite, tantalite, iron, manganese, garnet, beryllium, nickel, platinum, cobalt, and lithium.

The Niger Delta region boast of oil and gas and now states like Gombe and Bauchi states have joined the fray. We saw how Qatar used its oil money to build worldclass stadiums and facilities for the World Cup and we also saw how the United Arab Emirates used its resources to turn its country into a tourist and holiday spot. Sometimes you ask if it’s the same oil we have with these two other countries.

The list of states with abundant natural resources is endless.

Nigeria has been cursed with bad leaders at all levels who only think about their pockets and the next election. We lack leaders with the fear of God, intellect, capacity, and vision.

Sadly we all concentrate on the federal government and forget about governors and state and federal lawmakers. We use the federal government as the whipping boys and the electorates excuse the incompetence of governors. This has to change.

As we approach the elections, this is pertinent. One man alone cannot change the country. Forget all the sweet promises you are hearing from the leading presidential candidates. No one man can change the fortunes of the country, that’s why we need to elect quality leaders from the local government chairman to the presidency. That is when you will begin the real change. Lifting millions out of poverty is a task that must be done.