World Bank Reveals Nigeria’s Rural Poverty Increased To 75.5%













World Bank Reveals Nigeria’s Rural Poverty Increased To 75.5% 

By Editor 


Following the recent information which says, 75.5% of Nigeria’s rural population now lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank’s April 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief for Nigeria. 

This alarming figure, derived from the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest surveys, underscores a worsening economic crisis marked by inequality, inflation, and structural challenges. While 41.3% of urban dwellers face poverty, the rural rate — nearly double — highlights a stark urban-rural divide in Africa’s most populous nation.

The report paints a grim picture of rural Nigeria, where economic stagnation, insecurity, and reliance on low-productivity agriculture have deepened hardship.


 In 2018/19, 30.9% of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day, but the World Bank estimates that 54% of the population — approximately 129 million people — are now impoverished as of 2024, with 42 million more falling into poverty since the pre-COVID era. 

Rural areas, home to 75.5% of the poor, bear the brunt, with northern geopolitical zones reporting a 46.5% poverty rate compared to 13.5% in southern zones.

Children are particularly vulnerable, with 72.5% of those aged 0–14 living in poverty, alongside 67.5% of children facing multidimensional poverty, lacking access to education, health, and sanitation.

 Education levels exacerbate the crisis: 79.5% of Nigerians without formal education are poor, compared to 25.4% with tertiary education. 

Multidimensional poverty indicators reveal further deprivation, with 32.6% lacking clean water, 45.1% without sanitation, and 39.4% without electricity.

The World Bank attributes this crisis to Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy, limited job creation, and vulnerability to climate shocks affecting agriculture, a lifeline for rural communities.

 Recent reforms under President Bola Tinubu, including fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation, have spiked inflation to 31.7% in 2024, eroding purchasing power, especially in urban areas where poverty has nearly doubled to 31.3%. While these reforms aim to stabilize the economy, the Bank warns that without urgent measures, poverty could hit 52% by 2026.

In response, the World Bank recommends expanding cash transfers to vulnerable households, boosting employment through productive sectors, and addressing structural barriers like trade restrictions and insecurity. 


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