Most western commentaries
Report that more than half of the Nigerian Population live on less than a Dollar per day


What most people don't know however is that most commentary quote the report Below
"A 2006 United Nations Human Development Index that puts Nigeria at 159 out of 177 countries, with 70.8 per cent of the population living on less than one dollar a day and 92.4 per cent on less than two dollars a day (Human Development Report, 2006)

http://www.unicef.org/wcaro/Countries_1320.html

Incidentally I was serving in a rural Maternal and child hospital in Kufri Katsina state , Northwest Nigeria at that time and was able to at least see first hand how crude rural dwellers live and I can confidently report that some of these villagers are far wealthier than most of us think !

Nevertheless here are some Facts to enable us have a robust discussion on the subject matter !


1. Exchange rate of Naira to Dollar is Between =N= 154- 180


2. I Pack of Indomie cost Between =N= 30-50 and Agege Bread Cost Between =N= 30-120 depending on the size


3. The average Nigerian has at least 1 fone and NCC says the country’s mobile Average Revenue Per User as at 2012 is N1, 011.

That is 33.3 naira per day average

http://dailypost.ng/2012/08/19/investigation-shows-nigerians-spent-n603-2bn-phone-calls-six-months/


4. The minimum wage is 18000, the average laborer revives 1200 per Day Brick layer, Mason, carpenter and other skilled Labor force charge between 2500- 5000 per day depending on the location .

3.The akara seller or Petty trader makes at least 400-5000 daily depending on the volume


Let's talk


https://twitter.com/ochejoseph

*Incomplete analysis......

It is only in the North that I see extreme poverty as in nothing to eat and nothing to do. That is where it is fact.

But down south, even in the villages, you see people more concern about recharge cards, planning for ceremony, buying house property than hopelessly having nothing to eat and nothing to do. Here it is fiction.

That is so not true. Poverty is rampant in Nigeria but not at a level this bad. Living on less than #160 daily, come on.

Instead of looking inwards at our pitiful conditions. People are here feeling defensive . I worked it several times to show how it is possible the average Nigerian lives on a dollar per day.

Friends we are in 2014 and still not have water or electricity -are we gonna be defensive on that also?

It is a fact and not a fiction.
OcheJoseph,not because you can afford 3square meals a day you think everyone can. You need to go down to the heart of majority of nigerians and see the abject poverty people are facing.

The poverty rate is just too high!

A man living on less than a dollar per day in other words lives for nothing...Which means that a family man living like that could in no way hav been able to keep up with his family...no matter how bad it may get morthan half find morthan a dollar a day as there has been no hyped death rate due to poverty and starvation or even ill health...u can take my Northern people found in various parts of d country where they carry about dia cobler boxes and cover over 200kms every day for a stance and still survive...Buh wichever way you put it Morethan half of Nigerians can't be living on less than a dollar per day... Fiction

Fiction....

The average Nigerian on the street do not make indomie noodles themselves. They rely on the services of Mai-Shai to make ends meet. At the mai-shai joint, a pack of prepared indomie goes for N80 with the option of fried egg at N50 each makes an average plate at N130.

Mamaput joints operate on the Eat-As-Your-Pocket-Dictates (EAYPD) basis so no fixed amount though the threshold is from N100.

So if $1 = N164 then UN or who ever is right to say we live on less than $1. I doubt if many do breakfast, lunch time is mostly observed drinking pure water as they normally chase after customers.

NOTE: Living on $1 a day does not necessarily mean that person makes just a dollar a day but rather thats the amount he can afford to use in feeding while planning towards other commitments.

For example, a cobbler (mobile shoe shiner with the box) cannot be said to make only $1 a day when they charge you like N50 to N100 just to polish your shoes, repairs goes high depending on the level of work done. If he makes N500 a day, he cannot afford to blow all on feeding alone, he also saves a little to replenish supplies as well as travel back home from location to engage in farming activities when farming time approaches.

Concluding, this is not fiction but fact though it depends largely on the status of the surveyed sample

berem: It is a fact and not a fiction.
OcheJoseph,not because you can afford 3square meals a day you think everyone can. You need to go down to the heart of majority of nigerians and see the abject poverty people are facing.

The poverty rate is just too high!

Did you read the report? How can a sane person use 2006 report in 2014. My 19 months old boy consumes a minimum of 100 per meal, e.g, 60 naira indomie, 30 naira egg, 10 naira pure water. This is just for a little baby. You may say it's because of me. I know what the poorest of the poor in my street, buys from my store on daily basis for their families.
My sister, don't fall for that western mischief.

Awa this can't be truth.

bigtt76: The average Nigerian on the street do not make indomie noodles themselves. They rely on the services of Mai-Shai to make ends meet. At the mai-shai joint, a pack of prepared indomie goes for N80 with the option of fried egg at N50 each makes an average plate at N130.

Mamaput joints operate on the Eat-As-Your-Pocket-Dictates (EAYPD) basis so no fixed amount though the threshold is from N100.

So if $1 = N164 then UN or who ever is right to say we live on less than $1. I doubt if many do breakfast, lunch time is mostly observed drinking pure water as they normally chase after customers.

NOTE: Living on $1 a day does not necessarily mean that person makes just a dollar a day but rather thats the amount he can afford to use in feeding while planning towards other commitments.

For example, a cobbler (mobile shoe shiner with the box) cannot be said to make only $1 a day when they charge you like N50 to N100 just to polish your shoes, repairs goes high depending on the level of work done. If he makes N500 a day, he cannot afford to blow all on feeding alone, he also saves a little to replenish supplies as well as travel back home from location to engage in farming activities when farming time approaches.

Concluding, this is not fiction but fact though it depends largely on the status of the surveyed sample

Your analysis was spot on but your conclusion is standing on one leg !


Now take a second look at the question : Most western analyst some of whom have never been to Nigerian say more than 70 %( more than half of Nigeria's population live on a Dollar per Day


The implication of this statement is that around 80 million of us "feed on" "Utilize" less than a dollar a day

To conclude that these statement is a fact no matter the population sampled baffles me !