According to the latest data from the World Poverty Clock, Nigeria is home to an alarming 71 million individuals living in extreme poverty.
News About Nigeria reports that this information was highlighted by Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, during the Nigeria Zero Hunger Symposium held in Abuja.
The symposium, organized by the T200 Foundation to commemorate World Hunger Day, aimed to shed light on the hunger crisis in Nigeria and propose strategies for poverty eradication.
In addition to the 71 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty, the National Bureau of Statistics has classified 133 million people as multidimensionally poor, indicating the depth and complexity of poverty in the country.
These figures reveal the urgent need for concrete actions to address poverty and hunger in Nigeria.
During his speech, Cole drew attention to the global impact of hunger, stating that more than 10,000 children and 25,000 individuals worldwide succumb to hunger-related causes every day, as reported by the United Nations.
He emphasized the importance of developing a practical, sustainable, and easily implementable poverty eradication model that can be consistently followed over time.
He said, “Nigeria has the awful distinction of being the world capital of poverty, with 71 million people living in extreme poverty today (World Poverty Clock, 2023) and a total of 133 million people classed as multidimensionally poor according to National Bureau of Statistics data.
“In other words, about 828 million people will wake up every day having no idea when or where their next meal will come from, and many will go to bed that day without eating anything. This is according to a 2021 UN report. The UN further states that of these 828 million people, 25,000 will die today, including more than 10,000 children.
“Nigeria must design a simple, implementable, and sustainable poverty eradication model and stick to it over time.”
He also stated the contributing factors to hunger, highlighting that certain steps must be taken to address these issues.
He said “Other factors that contribute to hunger, such as violence, weak government, and health-care systems, must be addressed promptly if zero hunger is to be achieved. These are real difficulties in Nigeria and addressing them is critical not only for hunger eradication but also for the country’s overall progress.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) government is well positioned to push the goal of strengthening democratic institutions that will yield democratic dividends to the Nigerian people.”
The hunger report released by the T200 Foundation highlighted Nigeria’s serious hunger problem, as indicated by its Global Hunger Index score of 27.9.
However, it also revealed significant variations in hunger levels among different states. Yobe State ranked highest on the hunger index with a score of 44.2, followed by Sokoto with a score of 42.1.
Other states such as Zamfara, Kebbi, and Jigawa also exhibited high scores, reflecting elevated rates of undernourishment and child wasting.
Ambassador Emmanuel Osadebay, the Executive Director of the T200 Foundation, emphasized the need for collaboration among various stakeholders to combat hunger in Nigeria and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030.
He underscored the importance of coordinated efforts to implement effective strategies and interventions that address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity.
