Thursday, October 9, 2025 - The Presidency on Thursday, dismissed claims that Nigeria poverty level has increased to 139 million, adding 10 million people to the number of poor people.
Sunday Dare, special adviser to the President on media and
publicity while reacting to the claim on his X handle on Thursday, noted that
while Nigeria values its long-standing partnership with the World Bank and the
institution’s contributions to policy analysis, the figure quoted must be
properly contextualized.
Presidency also called for caution against interpreting the
World Bank’s number as a literal, real-time headcount.
According to the Presidency, “the estimate is derived from
the global poverty line of $2.15 per person per day—a benchmark set in 2017
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms.
“If converted nominally, that figure equals about $64.5 per
month, or nearly ₦100,000 at today’s
exchange rate—well above
Nigeria’s new minimum wage of
₦70,000.
Clearly, the measure is an analytical construct, not a direct reflection of
local income realities.”
It noted that poverty assessment under PPP methodology uses
historical consumption data (Nigeria’s last major survey was in 2018/19) and
often overlooks the informal and subsistence economies that sustain millions of
households.
The government therefore, said it “regards the figure as a
modelled global estimate, not an empirical representation of conditions in
2025. What truly matters is the trajectory—and Nigeria’s is now one of recovery
and inclusive reform.”
Writing on concrete measures to cushion economic hardship,
Dare said President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains firmly focused on
improving household welfare through targeted.
He listed the Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), which is
expanded to reach up to 15 million households nationwide, with verified digital
enrolment through the National Social Register. Over ₦297 billion has
been disbursed since 2023 to poor and vulnerable families.
Others include the renewed Hope Ward Development Programme
(RH-WDEP): A major new initiative targeting all 8,809 electoral wards,
delivering micro-infrastructure, livelihoods, and social services directly at
community level, as well as the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs).
“The government has also strengthened other components such
as N-Power, GEEP micro-loans (TraderMoni, MarketMoni, FarmerMoni), and
Home-Grown School Feeding to protect jobs, encourage small enterprise, and keep
children in school.
It also listed the distribution of subsidised grains and
fertilisers, mechanisation partnerships, and the revival of strategic food
reserves to curb inflationary pressure on staples.
Under the renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund (RHIF), the
federal government is also fnancing critical energy, road, and housing projects
to lower living costs and stimulate local employment.
Other measures listed by the federal government include the
national Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC), under which it is expanding
affordable credit to small businesses, women, and youth entrepreneurs through
risk-sharing mechanisms with commercial banks.
On contextualizing the poverty challenge, Dare said the
“World Bank’s assessment must understand the long-standing structural
distortions that this administration is actively correcting — including
overdependence on imports, productivity constraints, and regional inequality.
“Reforms such as fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate
unification, and fiscal redirection toward productive sectors are difficult but
necessary choices to tackle the root causes of poverty rather than its
symptoms. Even the World Bank itself has acknowledged that these reforms are
already restoring macroeconomic stability and renewed growth momentum.”
According to him, “Economic recovery alone is not enough; it
must be inclusive. The government’s medium-term focus is on ensuring that
macroeconomic stability results in tangible gains for citizens—through
affordable food, quality jobs, and reliable infrastructure.
He stated that investments are being ramped up in
agriculture, MSMEs, and power reliability.
In the area of agricultural value chain expansion programme,
new gas-to-power initiatives, and skills development hubs are designed to
create jobs and reduce living costs.
He stated that, “Nigerians should begin to feel more visible
improvements in food prices, income, and purchasing power as these programmes
mature.”
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