Group laments growing poverty rate in Nigeria

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has expressed dismay over the growing poverty rate in the country, saying that more Nigerians are multidimensional poorer now than are monetarily poor.
The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, asserted this in his welcome at the Conference on Social Investment Programme /Project close out of the Enhancing Social Protection Programme in Nigeria Project
(ESPPIN) held yesterday
According to him the 2023 data from the World Poverty Clock, has pegged the number of extremely poor Nigerians at 71 million, saying Nigeria, with its 213.4 million-strong population, faces this stark reality.
He explained that approximately 63% (133 million people) live in multidimensional poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics data, experiencing a range of deprivations that underscore the urgency of robust intervention.
Rev. Ugolor stressed that the current economic hardship caused by the impact of COVID-19, the Russian-Ukraine war, and the removal of fuel subsidy that has led to an uncontrollable increase in the dollar Naira exchange rate, has continued to put Nigerians in shock over uncertainties on the prices of food, goods, and services due to inflation.
The ANEEJ Executive Director added that this has further pushed more people into poverty as the statistics of such persons are yet to be documented and justifies the need for further action and increased investment in social protection programs to cushion the effect of poverty on Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable population.
He observed that to address the increasing poverty level in Nigeria, the Federal Government designed several interventions such as the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), an ambitious effort aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable citizens.