The North accounted for 87 per cent of all the poor people in Nigeria in 2016, the World Bank has disclosed in a new report.

The report titled ‘Advancing social protection in a dynamic Nigeria’, released on January 28, 2020, was described as a ‘detailed analysis of the social protection sector’ in the country.

The report noted that social protection measures implemented by the government in Nigeria had not been able to address the high level of poverty, as well as the negative impact of conflicts and natural disasters.

In the comprehensive report, obtained by one of our correspondents, the World Bank observed that although Nigeria was a richly endowed country, it had a larger proportion of the world’s extreme poor than any other nation.

The report further noted that most of the poor in Nigeria were found in the Northern part of the country.

The North-West, specifically, was described as home to almost half of all the poor in the country.

Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, (retd.), is from Katsina, a state in the North-West, which like other parts of the North, has produced a larger proportion of Nigerian leaders.

Looking at inequality in the country, the report said, “Nigeria experiences high inequality along geographic lines, with poverty mostly concentrated in the North and in rural areas.

“Poverty in the northern regions of the country has been increasing, especially in the North-West zone.

“Almost half of all the poor lived in the North-West and the North accounts for 87 per cent of all the poor in the country in 2016.”

“Poverty rates in the southern zones were around 12 per cent with little variation across zones. The South-South zone saw the most significant drop in poverty from 2011-2016.

“Poverty was significantly higher in rural areas of the country in 2016. An estimated 64 per cent of all poor lived in rural areas and 52 per cent of the rural population lived below the poverty line in 2016. In contrast, the poverty rate in urban areas remained stable at 16 per cent between 2011 and 2016.”

Painting the picture of a relatively prosperous South and an impoverished North, the report stated, “Regionally, the North lags far behind the South in every human capital outcome. People in the Northern regions are also more vulnerable to falling into poverty.

The report established a link between poverty in the North and the Boko Haram insurgency. According to the World Bank, most of the youth recruited by Boko Haram are jobless, a development which made them more prone to radicalisation.

It noted that the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East since 2014 had created a sense of ‘failed political promise’.

It added, “Disasters and conflict have displaced many Nigerians, especially in the North-East. According to estimates provided by the International Displacement Monitoring Centre, there were more than two million internally displaced persons in Nigeria as of 31 December 2018.

“In 2018 alone, more than 600,000 Nigerians were displaced due to natural disasters and more than 540,000 were displaced due to conflict and violence.

“In the North-East, the emergence of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram since 2014 has not only caused large scaled displacement, but also several incidences of kidnapping, death, and injuries, and the erosion of social contract due to widespread perception of a failed political promise. Poverty and deprivation have played a central role in fostering a social divide.

“The youth used by Boko Haram to partake in the conflict are jobless, without skills, or trades, and are easily susceptible to radicalisation,” the report said.

The World Bank added that besides conflict, climate related factors had caused additional displacement in the North and the Middle Belt regions of the country.

In 2018, flooding affected 80 per cent of the country and triggered more than 600,000 new displacements.

The report said, “Social protection measures in the country are neither well-suited to respond to conflict, nor well-placed to anticipate and mitigate the risks of natural disasters caused by climate change.”

Weak governance, lack of basic infrastructure, poor quality of education, and poor social service delivery, were identified as some of the reasons for the high level of poverty in Nigeria.

According to the report, “Poverty remains high in Nigeria due to its dire social service delivery outcomes and lack of basic infrastructure.

“Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children of primary school age in the world with nine million children out of school.

“There has been little change in vaccination rates over the last 25 years and Nigeria is set to overtake India as the country with most under-five deaths in the world.”

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, recently raised the alarm over the large number of out-of-school children in the North.

The World Bank added that 71 million Nigerians lack access to improved water, while 130 million people do not meet the Millennium Development Goal standards for sanitation.

However, the situation is worse in the North-East and North-West, where only around 25 to 28 per cent of households have access to basic services such as electricity, water, and sanitation.

The World Bank further observed that number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty went up from 2011 to 2016.

The poor in Nigeria lag far behind the rich in every human capital outcome, according to the World Bank Human Capital Index, where Nigeria ranked among the worst seven performers.

It noted that the rate of poverty in Nigeria increased from 35.0 to 38.8 per cent of the total population from 2011 to 2016.

In the same vein, the report pointed out that, despite Nigeria’s middle-income status, almost four out of 10 citizens lived below the national poverty line in 2016.

Between 2011 and 2016, the total number of people living in poverty increased from 57 million to 74 million, the World Bank added.

Commenting on the report, prominent northerners, including ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Junaid Mohammed, called for emphasis on education and a change in some cultural practices.

We should change culture that militates against poverty alleviation – Junaid

In separate telephone interviews with one of our correspondents in Abuja, on Monday, Mohammed and Musa said successive administrations had failed to reduce poverty largely because they failed to ensure that funds meant for the poor reach the masses.

Mohammed said, “I have no doubt in my mind that while it is important to concentrate on the economics of fighting poverty, it is important also for people to be sincere and confront those aspects of their culture which are counterproductive in the fight against poverty.What needs to be done is for government to be sincere in tackling poverty.

“Sadly, even the pittance that is allocated to poverty alleviation in this country is being stolen by those in power because they know nothing will happen.

“Unless we have the political will to deal with this issue nothing will change. We must have leaders with sincerity of purpose. One of the tragedies of poverty in this part of the country is sadly the reality of some of our cultural practices which today’s reality cannot support.”

Balarabe Musa links poverty in North to low education level

Musa said the level of poverty was more in the North because of the poor level of western education.

He stated, “The level of education here is certainly lower that what you have in the South. So, definitely, the level of poverty in the North is higher than that of the South. But if we really decide what is poverty, we will find out the difference between the north and the south is relative in terms of poverty.

“When you are talking of the bourgeois sense of poverty which is restricted to the level of empowerment at the higher level, yes you can say there are poorer people in the north than in the south but if you take Nigeria as a whole, the country as a whole is suffering from poverty that of the north is certainly higher.

“Poverty alleviation programmes by successive administrations have failed because they are bourgeois based.”

Atiku attributes North’s poverty to insecurity, lack of education

On his part, Atiku said insecurity, unemployment, lack of skills and lack of education were responsible for the high poverty rate in the North, especially in the North-East and North-West.

Atiku, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, said businesses would not thrive in an environment that was plagued by insecurity, lack of skills and lack of education.

Atiku said, “It is very clear that the North-East and North-West have a lot of shortcomings when you look at the index of education. So, education is key. It is the fastest vehicle for upward mobility.

“Education is a game-changer. The North -East and North-West are not doing well in that particular sector. That has impacted on the poverty aspect. To move from the threshold where they are now to the next level, there is the need for re-prioritisation of education as the most important sector.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/87-nigerias-poverty-rate-in-north-world-bank/

Congratulations to the north then.

87% poverty rate in your domain. Which means paltry 13% is left to be shared by the East, West and South.

Yet you guys with your born-to-rule mentality wouldn't mind voting a cow into power so long as he's a nortberner instead of someone with the capacity to better your lots.

My anger is that some who are educated also put themselves in this self delusion helping to 0subjugate the illiterate multitude with tribe and religion.

Believe me, if this country breaks today, the poor will eat the rich in the north.

Ndi born-to-rule, dalukwanu!

it not surprising

what's surprising is the fact that this region is so backward, yet, they dictate what happens in this country.

Because their Leaders have impoverished their minds. And I do not see that going away anytime soon

Because Poverty is a thing of the Mind!

Abeg joo, I will Design a Professional Logo for your Company or Product For 2k Only. Offer valid Today Only. See my info below to Chat me.

With almost 40 years in power?

Nothing else to say...

Its their business,still the same people who vote for their oppressors to keep oppressing them and serving them rice on the floor

This is caused by the bad decisions of their leaders, they have extended their brainless leadership on the whole country,

With all these indices , they are still building mosques by the hundreds, and sending people to Saudi Arabia, while encouraging their dumb youths to move south.

No country on the planet can develop while tethered to the North, it's practically impossible.

I always laugh when people think that your zone producing president would better the life of people in that area.
We have a weak institution that was built along tribal and religious line.
That's why Osibanjo is deputizing Buhari,
Peter Obi deputizing Atiku.


North is lucky that Nigeria has not separated.
With this their Boko haram of a thing, Isis will turn to Africa once they are dislodge from Syria,
So 87% poverty rate is even a good rate to compare to what the future beholds.







The only solution is not Building flyover but making 80% of their budget go into Basic Education and Secondary Schools. Not Universities.

Anyway what do I know?

Dis isn't news na... But d irony of it all is dat most of their elites(who are all political beneficiaries)are Billionaires and Trillionaires. And those elites hold down d rest of d region with religion and use it to their own advantage

90% of Politicians are from the North

The almajiri system

This latest report is nothing but the truth. When I first heard that Nigeria had become the poverty capital of the world I immediately knew that dismal indices from the North was the reason for that. The Northern part of Nigeria is a manufacturing ground for poverty, and when you juxtapose that with the pervasive illiteracy and unbridled practice of polymamy in those parts, then you will understand why that part of the country will continue to influence such uncomplimentary ratings for the country.

One useless law maker bragged that he has 4 wives and 27 children and still counting.

That was when i knew that North is irredeemable.

Very soon Nigeria will disintegrate and will see what is called poverty and cannibalism in the North.

ajebuter:
With more.than 30 years in power?

Nothing else to say...

Have you not heard about the likes of Abacha... In 100 years time.. We will still be talking about his loot ...it can never finish.

Let them continue breeding like rabbits..
But shouldn't disturb other regions
I see their population in Lagos and I shudder
Really think the bike ban was to stop their menace...

Poverty is headquartered in the north, illiteracy is in the north, insurgency and insecurity is a way of life in the north, children left to fend for themselves in the north, almost everything negative indices is from the north yet, the region has produced Presidents and Head of States more than any other regions.

I guess they enjoy poverty and primitive way of living than civilization.

After ruling this nation like their fiefdom.Power! Power!! Power to the north is all they know but see the aftermath now: abject poverty, stark illiteracy, preventable diseases, religious/fanatic indoctrination, sense killings & bloodshed.

Do you now see that the North rulling for years doesn't translate to anything but hunger, terrorism, mass breeding, illiteracy, fanatics ..



You see that Nigeria presidential seat is cursed, I pity those who wants to seat there.

True, this is why I laugh out loud when people make so noise that Igbos will never rule this country.
When I look at North and how long they have been in power,yet have such level of diseased and poverty ravaged people, I am left with no choice than to conclude that presidency coming to a region simply benefits the president , his families and cronies, and not entirely the people of the state and by extension, the region.
Northwest has produced more presidents than any other region in this country, yet it is the poorest region in the country.

Ogun state has produced President for eight years,and vice President for five years and counting, yet look at Ogun state today.

The president and presidency is simple for his familes, friends and croonies, not necessarily for the benefit of the people of the state, and by extension the region.

We should all demand for good governace, equity, fairness , justice and equal representation in governance irrespective of where the president is from.

Nbote:
Dis isn't news na... But d irony of it all is dat most of their elites(who are all political beneficiaries)are Billionaires and Trillionaires. And those elites hold down d rest of d region with religion and use it to their own advantage

Spot on.... The children of the elite embrace western Education and even study abroad

While the poor are used as tools to win elections.... They use religion to make sure they keep breeding like rats to increase their numbers

Most times... These kids dont get to 18 before they are being used to rig elections...

Until the South cuts of the North from itself, the South will continue to make slow progress if any.

BlackfireX:
Do you now see that the North rulling for years doesn't translate to anything but hunger, terrorism, mass breeding, illiteracy, fanatics ..



You see that Nigeria presidential seat is cursed, I pity those who wants to seat there.

You guys don't ask wether they would have been worse off if they hadn't welded that much political power
Anyways,the seat goes to the SW come 2023- cursed or not

khingTony:
it not surprising

what's surprising is the fact that this region is so backward, yet, they dictate what happens in this country.

After the civil war they took over the country strategically, they have the numbers, are more unified, are present at the top of all agencies and parastatals so how do you break that!

veeshock:

After the civil war they took over the country strategically, they have the numbers, are more unified, are present at the top of all agencies and parastatals so how do you break that!

fake numbers

In addition,do you know that only in the South East do we have a state in the South (ebonyi state) that has as much poverty rate as Northern states.Now you know.
I still have a feeling that the North inflates it's poverty statistics.

Fake numbers. They should give us the 2020 report. I bet it's now up to 97%. So long as a northerner is in power the rest of them do not mind dying wretched.

MelloJelly:

fake numbers

Fake or real, atleast they got it and we dont

tartar9:
In addition,do you know that only in the South East do we have a state in the South (ebonyi state) that has as much poverty rate as Northern states.Now you know.
I still have a feeling that the North inflates it's poverty statistics.

My thinking as well. They'll receive more money from western NGO's and charities if they have more poor people

Awol1:
Congratulations to the north then.

87% poverty rate in your domain. Which means paltry 13% is left to be shared by the East, West and South.

Yet you guys with your born-to-rule mentality wouldn't mind voting a cow into power so long as he's a nortberner instead of someone with the capacity to better your lots.

My anger is that some who are educated also pi themselves in this self delusion helping to subjugate the illiterate multitude with tribe and religion.

Believe me, if this countries breaks today, the poor will eat the rich in the north.

Ndi born-to-rule, dalukwanu!

So far as the cow is a Fulani cow.

Chai....Fear North

tartar9:
In addition, do you know that only in the South East do we have a state in the South (Ebonyi state) that has as much poverty rate as Northern states. Now you know.
I still have a feeling that the North inflates it's poverty statistics.

Bro the statistic is spot on, people don't know how poor the north is. When you go to the north you will believe this statistic totally.

Forget about those that come here to share pictures of flyovers and roads in Kano or Kaduna government reserved areas, majority of northerners live in the rural areas. Do you know that Kano municipal is only about 499 square kilometers with a lower population than Ibadan municipal that is over 3080 square kilometers? Most people in Kano lives in their rural areas where poverty is very high.

On average, most northern states get more in allocation than southwestern States but yet states like Osun that gets half of what Sokoto gets in a month is much better both in infrastructure and human development index. Last five years we perform a social experiment where I and three of my friend's tour 4 southwestern States, 3 north-central states, 3 northwestern states, 3 south southern states and 3 southeastern states.

All the southern states and 2 north central states such as a Kwara and Kogi have a high concentration of educated individual and wealth in their rural areas but from Niger state up the story becomes very bleak.

MelloJelly:

My thinking as well. They'll receive more money from western NGO's and charities if they have more poor people

It doesn't really work like that sir, apart from the war-torn northeast most NGO's directly fund project like Polio immunization through the ministry of health and the total value of charity received by these Northern states is meager compared to their monthly allocation