About 133 million Nigerians are said to be “multi-dimensionally poor” according to the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to the 2022 MPI, the figure represents 63% of Nigeria’s population, adding that the poverty index is mostly experienced in the rural areas especially with women and over 50% per cent of children across the country affected.
At the launch of the report in Abuja yesterday, the Federal Government said the MPI report will be used as a policy tool for resource allocation.
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).
The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said the MPI, which was conducted across the 109 senatorial districts, aimed to investigate why there was a disconnect between available social welfare opportunities and their uptake.
Agba said: “The MPI is aimed at influencing the design and implementation of projects and also to be used as a policy tool for targeted resource allocation.
“The 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index is not just another poverty measurement tool but one useful for influencing policies. This report provides a more comprehensive view of poverty by not only revealing who is poor but in what way and to what degree of intensity.
“This had turned it into a very practical resource for addressing the problem of poverty in all its forms and dimensions.
“The 2022 MPI survey results, therefore, equip us with valuable information available for the first time in our country to adequately and judiciously utilise in designing and implementing more efficient policies and programmes that effectively address poverty in a multidimensional way.”
The Minister said the official flag-off of the survey took place in August 2021, with the first sub-national MPI survey being completed in February 2022.
This report provides a more comprehensive view of poverty by not only revealing who is poor but in what way and to what degree of intensity.
Poverty levels
He said the survey revealed how poverty levels across the states varied significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from as low as 27% in Ondo to as high as 91% in Sokoto.
He continued: “For instance, in Ondo, educational and housing-related deprivations contribute more to multidimensional poverty than in Lagos, where food security, unemployment and shocks contribute more.
“So, using the MPI beyond measurements but as a policy allows for tailor interventions according to the deprivation profiles of each State, making them more efficient by making data-driven and evidence-based policies that will result in greater impact.”
In his remarks, the Statistician-General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, disclosed that 56,610 households were surveyed and areas such as health, education, living standards, food security, water reliability, underemployment, security shocks, and school attendance were considered.
Also speaking, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christoff, said Canada is committed to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria and around the world.
“On the aspect of securing wellbeing for all, this report is instrumental in the collection of data that highlights the urgent needs of children.
“The evidence generated by Nigeria’s national MPI is data that can be used for growth and measurement and policy tools for various sectors, ministries programmes and levels of government which is an essential step to responding to poverty reduction.
“Canada believes that targeting gender inequality is fundamental to addressing the root causes of the poor.
“It is for this reason that we support initiatives like the MPI by fostering and enabling ecosystems for women and girls to be empowered and reach their full potential.
“This will help them earn their livelihood, which will affect the families and enhance the economic growth of communities in Nigeria.”
Similarly, representative of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Cristian Munduate, noted that children in Nigeria were facing hardship, and there was a need to “put a face to it”.
“We found out from the report that is being launched today that child MPI is above 50% in all states and almost 100% in some states.
“There is a high prevalence of child MPI in rural areas, with almost 90 per cent of them experiencing poverty. These figures show we need urgent action in terms of policies, practices and financial commitments.
“No matter how passionate our intentions, programmes and policies are, effective implementation alongside increased sustainable, efficient public investments remains at the core of fulfilling the rights of children in Nigeria,” he said.
