17.9 Million More Nigerians in Poverty: A Wake-Up Call for Stronger Social Protection

By Odokara Paul Ndu

Nigeria’s poverty crisis has reached another troubling milestone. According to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, produced by the United Nations Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, an additional 17.9 million Nigerians became multidimensionally poor between 2021 and 2024. The comparable poverty rate rose from 33 per cent to 38.7 per cent, increasing the number affected from 72.2 million to approximately 90.1 million.

These figures represent more than statistics. They reflect families struggling to afford food, children missing school, unsafe housing, and communities without clean water, electricity or basic healthcare. They also point to the difficulty many Nigerians face in coping with inflation, unemployment, insecurity and climate-related shocks.

The figures are especially sobering as the world marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October. The 2026–2028 umbrella theme, “United for Peace and Human Rights,” and this year’s focus, “Safe Homes for All,” highlight the importance of adequate housing to dignity, security and opportunity. Poverty cannot be eradicated while families remain in unsafe or overcrowded homes without reliable water, sanitation, electricity or protection from forced displacement.

Multidimensional poverty captures overlapping disadvantages in health, education and living standards, including nutrition, school attendance, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing and household assets. Cash assistance can help households meet immediate needs, but it cannot substitute for functioning clinics, reliable schools, affordable housing or clean water. Nigeria therefore needs a social protection system that combines income support with accessible public services and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

Nigeria has introduced cash transfers, school feeding, health insurance and other interventions, but coverage remains uneven. Benefits may be inadequate or irregular, fragmented databases can delay assistance, and inflation reduces the value of support. A stronger system must be predictable, transparent and capable of expanding quickly during emergencies. It must also respond to the needs of children, older persons, people with disabilities, displaced families, informal workers and the working poor. Clear, regularly updated eligibility data and accessible grievance channels are essential to prevent exclusion and abuse.

The National Economic Council’s approval of the Revised National Social Protection Policy 2026–2030 is a welcome step. Its promise will depend on implementation. Federal institutions should issue clear guidelines, assign responsibilities and provide sustainable financing. States should align their laws, budgets and delivery plans with the policy, while local governments help with enrolment, accurate social registers, referrals and accessible complaints mechanisms. Shared standards, compatible data systems, public reporting and measurable targets are needed to ensure that implementation goes beyond policy announcements.

Governments should maintain an integrated, regularly updated social registry, with strong privacy safeguards, to reduce duplication and help support reach households according to need rather than political connections. Cash benefits should be paid reliably and reviewed in light of inflation. Digital payments can improve speed and accountability, but alternatives must remain available for people without bank accounts, identity documents or reliable network access.

Social protection must also be linked to investment in healthcare, education, nutrition, water, sanitation, housing and rural infrastructure. Priorities should reflect local needs: one community may urgently require nutrition support, while another may need safe water, electricity, housing or improved access to schools. Funding must be sustainable and predictable, with budgets clearly identifying commitments and government publishing disbursement and coverage data. Independent oversight and transparent reporting can help citizens, lawmakers and civil society determine whether assistance reaches its intended beneficiaries.

Civil society organisations can help bridge the gap between policy and the people it is intended to serve. Act Naija!—Civil Society Action to Strengthen Social Protection in Nigeria—is one example. The three-year initiative, running from April 2025 to March 2028, is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by Brot für die Welt, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), and the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Act Naija! raises public awareness of social protection programmes, helps vulnerable households understand enrolment processes and brings community concerns to government agencies. It also supports civil society and community groups to participate in policy dialogue, advocate inclusive laws and budgets, and monitor cash transfers and other safety-net programmes. In keeping with the focus on safe homes, civil society can document housing conditions in informal settlements, overcrowded homes, displacement camps and disaster-prone communities; monitor housing and resettlement programmes; challenge arbitrary evictions; and advocate affordable housing, secure tenure, accessible shelters and essential services.

Civil society cannot replace the state’s responsibility to protect citizens, but it can strengthen transparency, inclusion and accountability by gathering evidence, tracking promised benefits, publishing findings and pressing authorities to address failures. These efforts can help ensure that public spending delivers meaningful improvements in people’s lives.

Call to Action

The increase of 17.9 million people living in multidimensional poverty should be treated as a national emergency. Nigeria cannot achieve durable growth while millions face disadvantages that undermine their health, education, housing security and productivity. Federal, State and Local Governments must urgently turn social protection commitments into effective action, supported by adequate funding, clear responsibilities and public accountability.

On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, governments must also prioritise the resettlement of internally displaced persons into decent and safe homes where they can live with dignity. The Federal Capital Territory Administration should intensify efforts to address the reported housing deficit of 1.7 million and improve access to quality, affordable housing for poor and vulnerable residents.

Stronger social protection is not charity; it is an investment in human development, stability and resilience. The poverty figures are a warning. Whether they become a turning point will depend on the full implementation of the revised national policy and a sustained commitment to ensuring that all Nigerians can live in safety and dignity.

• Odokara Paul Ndu is Act Naija Programme Officer, FCT, Abuja.