Fact Check: Is Nigeria Really The Poverty Capital Of The World?

Fact Check: Is Nigeria Really The Poverty Capital Of The World?....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, has stated that Nigeria has become the poverty capital of the world, with 38 million people on the brink of extreme hunger. In an interview with News Central TV, he emphasized, “From all records, Nigeria has 38 million people on the verge of extreme hunger; we are the poverty capital of the world. The two most critical areas causing this crisis are human insecurity and food insecurity……CONTINUE READING 

Obi’s remarks have resonated widely, attracting over 100,000 views on YouTube and being shared across various media platforms. The United Nations defines extreme poverty as severe deprivation of basic human needs, while the World Bank considers those living on less than $1.90 per day as extremely poor.

The World Poverty Clock (WPC) first labeled Nigeria as the poverty capital in 2018 when around 87 million Nigerians were classified as extremely poor. However, by 2022, India surpassed Nigeria with 83 million people in extreme poverty, while Nigeria’s number fell to approximately 70 million.

As of June 2023, the WPC reported that the number of extremely poor Nigerians had increased to 71 million. In contrast, the National Bureau of Statistics identified 133 million Nigerians as multidimensionally poor, and the United Nations World Food Programme indicated that 24.8 million Nigerians experience acute hunger.

In 2024, the WPC noted about 70.8 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty, but Nigeria does not rank among the top ten countries with the highest poverty rates according to the World Population Review. The countries with the highest rates include South Sudan (82.3%), Equatorial Guinea (76.8%), and Madagascar (70.7%).

Moreover, a report by Concern Worldwide, referencing the 2023 Human Development Index, did not list Nigeria among the ten poorest countries, which included Somalia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

Additionally, the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises indicated that Nigeria ranks second in food insecurity, with 24.9 million people suffering from acute hunger, following the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Professor Taiwo Owoeye, a policy analyst and Development Economics expert, argued that while Nigeria has significant poverty challenges, it is no longer the world’s poverty capital. He stated, “Though Nigeria has a worrisome rate of poverty, it is not the highest in the world. How can the country be the poverty capital when other nations are more afflicted with extreme poverty?”