The Multidimensional Poverty Index by NBS revealed that 133m Nigerians are poor.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one out of every three households in Nigeria is unable to afford the cheapest nutritious diet, which is estimated to cost N1,687 per household daily. UNICEF reports that in the past year, the cost of food has increased by 23 percent, making it more difficult for families to provide their households with meals that are nutritious. In the past week, the National Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria released its Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, which found that 133 million people in Nigeria live in poverty, which means that more than half of Nigerians are unable to meet basic needs like food, education, and medical care.
In the midst of rapidly deteriorating poverty, high inflation, and the disastrous effect of the floods, it is expected that millions of people in Nigeria will suffer from severe hunger and chronic malnutrition, a condition that leads to so many other diseases and death. According to a report published by UNICEF titled ‘Nutrition Situation in Nigeria,’ the organization estimates that the number of children under the age of five who die as a result of malnutrition is already at 100 per hour, and it is expected to continue to rise.
Poor households are at the highest risk of malnutrition.
Nemat Hajeebhoy, who is the chief of nutrition for UNICEF Nigeria, noted that households that are poor and cannot afford meals that are nutritious have the highest risk of being malnourished. She emphasized that Nigeria’s future is severely put at risk by the country’s lack of food security. During a recent meeting of stakeholders in Abuja, she stated that children who suffer from severe acute malnutrition have nearly 12 times the risk of death compared to children who are healthy if they do not receive treatment.
If the Nigerian government does not take immediate action, the agency will issue a strong warning and estimates that by the end of the year, an estimated 14.7 million children will be suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition. Furthermore, it added that by 2023, the nation’s food security, as well as nutrition, may be negatively impacted by a number of factors, with children bearing the cost of the effects, which include severe flooding, the loss of agricultural output, and inflation.
Nigeria is among the hotspots for food insecurity in the world.
Furthermore, in a 2022 combined report, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme, and the United Nations all said that the food crisis had gotten worse in Nigeria, which is one of the worst places for food insecurity. They also said that the number of hungry people would continue to rise sharply. It also affirmed that there are still hotspots in Nigeria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen are on “highest alert” because they are home to almost a million people who are suffering from starvation and death on a daily basis (IPC Phase 5 “Catastrophe”) and where high degrees of mortality and malnutrition could develop if nothing is done right away.
An additional report from April, the FAO stated that 90,4 million Nigerians were in danger of going hungry and that the prevalence of malnutrition in several northern states had increased by more than double. Additionally, there has been an increase in both poverty and inflation, both of which have contributed to the country’s worsening crisis regarding the cost of living. The inflation rate in Nigeria reached a new high of 21.09 percent in October, surpassing the previous high of 20.77 percent, which was reached in September.
Unprecedented flooding has contributed to the poverty rate in the country.
Moreover, Flooding in Nigeria this year has been the worst in a decade, killing 600 people and displacing nearly two million. One of Nigeria’s largest farms, Olam Rice Farm in Lukubi Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, was destroyed along with other farmlands totaling millions of hectares. The farm was estimated to be worth N140 million. Global statistics show that, as a result, nearly 20 million Nigerians are currently experiencing food insecurity. According to information provided by UNICEF, there are also 12 million children who are living in extreme food poverty.
Related Links
UN: Website
UNICEF: Website
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The statistic in the article is not correct rather it is 2 out of 3 home can not afford balance diet.The inflation in the country is so high and the purchasing power is not to write about.
From the onset that I have known what balance diet is how many Nigerian can boast of eating a balanced food,just a few, Nigerians mostky survive on starchy foods and they are so used to it.
There has been a 23% increase in the cost of food over the past year, according to UNICEF, making it more difficult for families to supply their households with meals that are both affordable and healthy. Since last Sunday
Over half of the population of Nigeria suffers from poverty, which makes it difficult for them to afford necessities like food, clothing, and medical care.
It is predicted that millions of people in Nigeria will suffer from severe hunger and chronic malnutrition as a result of the country’s worsening economic situation, high inflation, and the devastating effects of the floods.
If they do not receive treatment, children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition have a risk of death that is almost equivalent to the risk of death faced by children who are healthy.
We should know that malnutrition is a major cause of death among children under five, according to the organization’s estimations, and that number is anticipated to climb.
The number count of Nigerians that are unable to meet basic needs of living such as food, education, and quality healthcare is extremely high which is detrimental to the growth of the nation.
The severe floods and the loss of agricultural productivity, and inflation are all potential threats to food security, all of which could have a disproportionately detrimental impact on children.
If this trend continues, the number of hungry individuals in the country will continue to climb rapidly, which is detrimental to the economic development and general welfare of the population.
inflation is one of thing affecting us to make people suffer people can’t even afford healthy food for body. People are unable to meet their basic needs to survive.
It is anticipated that millions of people in Nigeria will experience extreme hunger and chronic malnutrition, a condition that causes a wide range of illnesses and mortality, in the midst of rapidly worsening poverty, high inflation, and the terrible impact of the floods.
Poverty is really affecting us in this economy. It is quite unfortunate a lot of people can’t afford daily meal. I hope we vote well during this election to change the government.
The rate of inflation in the country is so high and the purchasing power is not to write about making it more difficult for families to supply their households with meals that are both affordable and healthy.
Is only few Nigeria citizens can afford balance diet. Government of Nigeria have no sympathy for the masses.
Hard government
Over fifty percent of the people living in Nigeria are considered to be living in poverty, which makes it challenging for them to afford basic necessities such as food, clothing, and medical care.
In current economy, poverty is having a significant impact on all of us. It is quite bad that a lot of individuals do not have enough money to eat every day. I have faith that we will elect a new government with the help of our votes in this election.
Extreme flooding, the resulting loss of agricultural productivity, and rising prices all pose risks to food security, which could have an outsized negative effect on children.
I am not so surprise that there are high level of poverty in the land which has prompted NBS to revealed that 133m Nigerians are living in abject poverty. Very soon if poverty is not control there will rate of crime, malnutrition, constant out burst of diseases in the land. It is well
As rightly pointed out by NBS that there is multidimensional poverty in Nigerians with 133m living in poverty. If not addressed on time the federal government will have themselves to blame.
If this pattern persists, the number of hungry people in the nation will keep rising quickly, which is harmful to the nation’s economic growth and population welfare overall.