The World Bank on Wednesday raised concerns over Nigeria’s rising poverty, revealing that around 139 million citizens now live in poverty despite recent economic stabilisation efforts.
Mathew Verghis, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, made the disclosure in Abuja during the launch of the October 2025 Nigeria Development Update titled “From Policy to People: Bringing the Reform Gains Home.” The Bank warned that Nigeria risks losing the benefits of ongoing reforms if they fail to improve the living standards of ordinary citizens.
Reactions to the report have been mixed. While many Nigerians see it as a reflection of harsh realities, the Presidency, through President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, dismissed the figures as unrealistic and not reflective of local economic conditions. The government explained that the 139 million estimate is based on the global poverty line of $2.15 per day (set in 2017 using the PPP model), which converts to about ₦100,000 per month—higher than Nigeria’s minimum wage of ₦70,000—and should not be interpreted as an exact count of poor Nigerians.
However, civil society groups like the African Democratic Congress (ADC) urged the government to accept the findings, arguing that the report exposes how economic policies have worsened living conditions for millions.
Civil rights activist Mahdi Shehu described the report as a reflection of long-standing hardship, particularly in northern Nigeria. In an interview with BASEMEDIA , Shehu said the report confirms what many Nigerians have experienced since 2015, noting that the figures only capture part of the broader tragedy, which includes over 30 million out-of-school children, 600 daily deaths from acute malnutrition, growing unemployment, and widespread despair.
Shehu highlighted that the North has been the worst affected, with over 80 percent of the population pushed into permanent economic hardship, leading to malnutrition, disease, broken homes, and a collapse of social and ethical values. He argued that democracy has brought little relief to the region, reducing many to a state “below that of slaves” while leaders live in comfort.
Public affairs analyst Hon. Jafar Sani Bello also condemned the government’s rejection of the report, describing it as an injustice to the poor. He stressed that the northern region suffers the most due to economic and security challenges, including the high cost of staple food imports, expensive fertilizers, and insecurity, which have made farming unprofitable and worsened poverty.
Both Shehu and Bello underscored the urgent need for the government to address the deepening economic and social crises, particularly in northern Nigeria.
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