Top 10 states in Nigeria with the lowest poverty rate

The heartland of Africa, Nigeria, controls the continent’s highest revenue. 

This is large because Nigeria has a massive oil reserve and has exploited this resource for decades. 

However, the country's massive wealth has not entirely reflected in the living conditions of numerous Nigerians, 63% of which are living below the poverty line. This in turn has prompted several states within the country to think of creative ways to improve the quality of life of their constituents.

Recently, a publication on the state of poverty in the heart of Africa was released by Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics.

Utilizing a metric framework called the Multidimensional Poverty Index, the National Bureau of Statistics calculated the level of poverty in each state (MPI). Four important indicators, including health, education, living standards, and work and shocks, together determine the MPI. 

The data in this report was gathered through a survey that involved compiling more than 50000 responses from a carefully crafted questionnaire, nationwide.

As a result, the Nigeria MPI (2022) survey questionnaire included additional variables like food security, water reliability, underemployment, security shocks, school lag, and child deprivations that were pertinent given the new context and national priorities.

Via this metric, each of the 36 Nigerian states was ranked according to the number of people considered to be living under the poverty line. Read the story here. 

The percentage of people who are multidimensionally poor as a whole, 63% out of 133 million people, is one of the report's broad conclusions. However, there are some states in the country which have put the poverty rate in their region under control.

Below are ten of the states in Nigeria that have the lowest levels of poverty.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of the story indicated the 10 richest states in Nigeria, a narration that was contradictory to the original context of the report. The title has since been updated to reflect the intended data of the report by the National Bureau of Statistics.