POVERTY LEVEL ON THE RISE IN NIGERIA

Who will care for our tomorrow?

As the nation is trying to cope with uprising of incessant menace of the Boko Haram terrorist group that is shredding the nation into pieces, unrest and collapse the issue of economy crisis (in term of standard of living) is also catching up with Nigeria. According the National Bureau Of Statistics report, there is an increase in the level of poverty within the nation. The Bureau reported that 60.9% of Nigerians in 2010 were living in "absolute poverty" - this figure had risen from 54.7% in 2004.

Despite being the largest producer of oil in Africa and the 8th in the world, about 100 Million Nigerians are living in abject poverty with less than a $1 (£0.63) per day while some selected few live affluently based on large corruption that is gulping the wealth of this nation, thereby making the poverty level becoming unbearable and Bubonic plague.

Below are the various analysis and statements from Yemi Kale, the Statistician-General of the Federation:

He said the figure was higher than the 54 per cent recorded in 2004, and that the North-West and North East geo-political zones recorded the highest poverty rates in the country with 77.7 per cent and 76.3 per cent respectively.

Kale said the South-West geo-political zone recorded the lowest with 59.1 per cent.

He said that among the states from the North-West and North- East geo-political zones, Sokoto had the highest poverty rate with 86.4 per cent in 2010 against 95 per cent recorded by Jigawa in 2004.

The Statistician-General said Niger had the lowest with 43.6 per cent in 2010 against 22 per cent recorded by Anambra in 2004.

He said that Nigerians, who had minimal standards of foods, clothing, healthcare and shelter stood at 60.9 per cent in 2010 as against 54.7 per cent recorded in 2004.

“Among the geo-political zones, the North-West and North-East recorded the highest rates at 70 per cent and 69 per cent respectively, while the South-West had the least at 49.8 per cent.

“Sokoto had the highest at 81.2 per cent, while Niger had the least at 33.8 per cent during the review period.’’

Kale said that 93.9 per cent of Nigerians considered themselves to be poor in 2010 against 75.5 per cent recorded in 2004.

He said the FCT with 97.9 per cent, recorded the highest number of people, who considered themselves to be poor, while Kaduna with 90.50 per cent, recorded the least number of people.

The Statistician-General said the income inequality in the country as measured by the Gini-Coefficient rose from 0.429 in 2004 to 0.447 in 2010.

The Harmonised Nigeria Living Standard Survey was produced by the NBS in collaboration with the World Bank, Department for International Development and UNICEF. (NAN)


D'Prince