[OBSERVATION] Nigeria: World Poverty Capital
![[OBSERVATION] Nigeria: World Poverty Capital](https://osundefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Multidimensional-poverty.png)
“Poverty Capital of the World” refers to the country with the largest population living in extreme poverty. Nigeria earned this title when it overtook India in 2018, according to reports by Brookings Institution, a non-profit making organisation based in Washington D.C that specialises in conducting in-depth research to improve policy and governance at local, national and global levels.
This assertion was justified by Nigeria Bureau of Statistic (NBS) in the survey it conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 when it reported that 63 percent of Nigerians, estimated to be 133 million Nigerians, were multidimensional poor based on the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
But why should Nigeria find itself in this abysmal pit? This same country had earned a title of “Giant of Africa” and biggest economy in the continent. This is a country that is stupendously rich in human and natural resources which are prerequisites for growth and development. It is said to be over 200 million population as there has not been National Population Census since 2006.
According to Worldometer, however, Nigeria population is estimated to be 237 milion as of mid-2025; the most populous country in the continent; and the sixth most populous globally. Some of the natural resources it is endowed with are oil and natural gas reserves, gold, colombite, tin, Iron ore, limestone, coal, bitumen and gemstone. It is also blessed with industrial minerals like kaolin, gypsum and barite in addition to forest and water resources across its thirty-six states; it is a country with clement weather with no natural disaster like volcanic eruptions, tsunami, etc.
I stumbled at a 2025 documentary on the social media wherein a young man from England searched for an answer to his friend’s question to know “which country in the world has the highest life expectancy?” The result states Monaco with average life expectancy of 90 years old. In his curiosity to go further, he asked himself, “what is the opposite?”- which country has the lowest life expectancy in the world?
The answer is Nigeria with approximately 55 years old as average life expectancy. Shocked by this statistics, he embarked on a journey to these two countries. In Monaco, he discovers that it’s a rich people’s paradise – the highest concentration of millionaires and billionaires in the world. Ratio of Doctors to residence is 89:10,000; no stress, no anxiety, there are good food and environment and healthy lifestyle, among others.
When he gets to Lagos, Nigeria, it is a completely different world from the riverine areas to mainland – Poverty is palpable in most everywhere he goes; the environment and living condition is messy; and ratio of doctor to residence is 4:10,000 and insecurity is prevalent.
Although, it’s not so surprising that Nigeria is placed on the global map as the capital of poverty as signs, facts and figures and other negative indicators have continued to flash this awful condition, I had to conduct an independent research of this pathetic situation myself; and alas, the condition of vast majority of Nigerians is alarming!
Interestingly, the situation may not improve as successive governments, past and present, always present Nigeria as faring well when they hold sway vis-a-vis control and siphoning our collective patrimony, castigating their predecessors to be responsible for our socio-economic woe with no strategy to arrest it and improve living condition of the people.
And what are the social index that determines overall quality of daily life and wellbeing of the people? Purchasing power Index: it measures citizens’ capacity to purchase goods and service based on income and prices; house price to income ratio: meaning housing affordability as per property prices in relations to local income; cost of living index: capturing overall expense of living in a place including food, housing, and services; safety index, which captures crime rates and residents’ perception of security, to mention just these.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was World Bank reports in October, 2025 that poverty in Nigeria has worsened, with estimated 139 million Nigerians living in poverty despite the government reforms! World Bank notes, “While reforms like removal of fuel subsidy and exchange rate unification are crucial for long term growth, they have not yet translated into improved living standard due to high food inflation, low job creation, and eroded purchasing power,” and warned that, “without better outcomes for the citizens, the country (Nigeria) risks losing the gains from these reforms.”
Under the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the present Tinubu led administration, the quality of life of majority of Nigerians has plummeted as hunger, misery and penury have become the portion of the people. Removal of fuel subsidy has astronomically increased the cost of transport, food and other consumables, taking them far out of the reach of the majority. Cost of housing has gone above the roof as the prices of building materials have risen. Electricity tariffs increase under the guise of banding has continued to take away hard earned income of the people without corresponding electricity to justify the killing increase.
Various taxes – electronic money transfer, increase in the price of data and calls, domestic gas price increase – among others, and amidst yet another proposed new petrol tax – have continued to reduce purchasing power of the people. As government rakes in a lot of money from the sweat, blood, agony and misery of the people without any clear social protection programme and distributes money amongst the three tiers – FG, State Governments and Local Governments – the FG which collects the lion share of the bounty (52.68%) with its spokespersons asks Nigerians to hold their State Governments (which collectively receive 26.72%) responsible for their misery.
The essence of any government and the very reason for its existence ab initio is the guarantee of welfare and security of the citizens. However terrible the status quo whenever any government takes power, the expectation is not a bulk-passing to the preceding governments and blame games on who or what caused the current tribulations – that is, at any day and any time and by any standard, the highest sense of irresponsibility. Why does it bother to take the baton in the first place? Is it not to undo the damages, salvage the situation and take the country into a better situation than it met it?
For emphasis, all constitutional governments have statements on why government have to be put in place; in Nigeria, it is enshrined in our constitution as the “Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.” It states the express raison deter for government as “the guarantee of the welfare and security of citizens.” Accordingly, no volume of propaganda about any policy can mitigate what it will inevitably be judged by – how has the policy impacted on THE WELFARE AND SECURITY OF CITIZENS? Are the welfare and security of the MAJORITY better today than yesterday? As per the current government, the absolute and incontrovertible answer is crystal clear to all, even their IMF and World Bank Masters – a resounding NO!
Virtually every index with which the quality of life of a people is measured has taken a turn for the worse since May 29, 2023. Only the architects of the mass suffering who enjoy the “harvest from the tribulations” live in denial.
The Onus, in every democracy, lies with the people – they must not get tired in changing their government until they get to the one that guarantees their welfare and security and more solidarity amongst themselves across all the divide-and-rule lines of ethnicity and religion. They must think beyond the corruption of those who have no electoral game than vote-buying and widespread harassment and terror.
They must stand well-well BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER election to ensure that their votes count. In making any choice, they should rely on facts from the past and refuse to be carried away by sentiments and empty promises. That is the only guarantee of choices that make tomorrow better than today – even if not perfect yet. Come rain, come shine, nobody should be scared on election day; everyone must remember that no amount of money given to them that day as a bribe to vote for a devil will make life in the next 4 years easy! Collect if you must but vote as your conscience says. A word is enough for the wise.
The opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author. It does not represent the editorial position or opinion of OSUN DEFENDER.
Ademola Yaya is a columnist, author, policy analyst, pro-democracy crusader and communications specialist.
