The Nigerian Presidency has disputed the World Bank’s latest economic report, which estimates that 139 million Nigerians live in poverty. The government calls the figure “unrealistic” and says it does not accurately reflect the country’s economic conditions. President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, argued that the poverty statistics must be “properly contextualised” within global poverty‑measurement models.
The World Bank’s estimate is based on the 2017 global poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, calculated using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). The Presidency clarified that this figure should not be taken as an exact count of Nigerians living in poverty. When converted to local currency, the $2.15 daily line equals roughly ₦100,000 per month, which exceeds Nigeria’s new minimum wage of ₦70,000. The government contends that PPP‑based estimates rely heavily on historical consumption data and often overlook the extensive informal and subsistence economies that support millions of households. Consequently, it views the World Bank’s number as “a modelled global projection, not an empirical reflection of living conditions in 2025.”
Rather than focusing on static poverty figures, the Presidency emphasizes the overall direction of change. It asserts that Nigeria’s economy is now on a path of recovery and reform, guided by policies aimed at inclusive growth and stronger social protection. The current administration has expanded several welfare and intervention programmes to cushion the impact of recent reforms while laying the foundation for long‑term prosperity. Key initiatives include conditional cash transfers, the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, national social investment programmes, food‑security projects, and Renewed Hope infrastructure funds. The government maintains that these reforms are essential to address the root causes of poverty and ensure that economic recovery translates into tangible gains for citizens.
World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, praised the government’s steps to stabilise the economy through recent policy reforms but warned that more must be done to improve living standards. The Nigerian government remains committed to reducing poverty and empowering households, aiming to expand opportunities and build a resilient, inclusive economy.
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