Nigeria Poverty Assessment 2022 - A Better Future for All Nigerians - Report

Jul 19, 2026

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Nigeria Poverty Assessment 2022 assesses how poverty in Nigeria is shaped by macroeconomic conditions, climate and conflict shocks, and added pressure from COVID-19 and inflation. It shows poverty is high and spatially unequal, with many non-poor households vulnerable to slipping into poverty. The analysis covers monetary and non-monetary dimensions, labor market constraints, food insecurity measurement, and the role of social protection in responding to widespread shocks. Evidence-based policy directions outline how to expand jobs, infrastructure, and protection systems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages103

Reading Time4 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

A Better Future for All Nigerians - Contents

Introduction: Tackling poverty amid wide-ranging development challenges

Poverty is high in Nigeria, and the country is spatially unequal

Nigerians are poor across multiple dimensions

Nigeria’s labor market offers few pathways out of poverty

Social protection could help households cope with widespread shocks

The way forward

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized NIGERIA POVERTY ASSESSMENT 2022 A Better Future for All Nigerians © 2022 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 [Internet: www.worldbank.org](Internet: www.worldbank.org) This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: [pubrights@worldbank.org](pubrights@worldbank.org). Cover photo by Arne Hoel/World Bank. NIGERIA POVERTY ASSESSMENT 2022 A Better Future for All Nigerians February 2022 ii Contents Acknowledgements vii 1. Introduction: Tackling poverty amid wide-ranging development challenges 1 1.1. Macroeconomic context: sustainable, inclusive growth remains elusive 2 1.2. Climate and conflict shocks could increasingly hamper poverty reduction 4 1.3. COVID-19 and inflation pose added threats to poverty reduction 7 1.4. New microdata can inform Nigeria’s pathways out of poverty 8 1.5. Structure of the poverty assessment 9 2. Poverty is high in Nigeria, and the country is spatially unequal 10 2.1. How poverty is measured in Nigeria 11 2.2. Poverty was widespread in Nigeria, even before COVID-19 13 2.3. Nigeria’s poverty reduction likely stagnated before the pandemic 14 2.4. Many non-poor Nigerians were vulnerable before COVID-19 16 2.5. Poverty in Nigeria: wide and deep 17 2.5. Taking a spatial lens to inequalities 18 2.6. Which Nigerians are most likely to be monetarily poor? 19 2.7. Nigeria was the largest contributor to poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa 22 2.8. The COVID-19 crisis threatens to push millions more Nigerians into poverty 22 Spotlight 1: Trade distortions and household welfare 24 Annex 2.1. Supplementary tables 28 3. Nigerians are poor across multiple dimensions 29 3.1. Non-monetary poverty measures of education and basic infrastructure are highly correlated with monetary poverty 30 3.2. Multidimensional poverty is high and spatially unequal 32 3.3. Poverty dimensions overlap more in northern and rural areas—with implications for targeting 34 3.4. Tackling non-monetary poverty: some gains, but little convergence 36 3.5. COVID-19 could further weaken Nigeria’s human capital, both short and long term 39 Spotlight 2: Measuring food insecurity and food access in Nigeria 41 Annex 3.1. Supplementary tables 44 4. Nigeria’s labor market offers few pathways out of poverty 45 4.1. Exploiting Nigeria’s demographic dividend requires providing good jobs for young people 46 4.2. Working, in itself, is not a pathway out of poverty 47 4.3. The jobs best able to lift people out of poverty are rare and distributed unevenly across Nigeria 49 4.4. Gender inequality in Nigeria’s labor market could further constrain poverty reduction 52 4.5. Crisis times and the labor market: rising levels of precarity 54 NIGERIA POVERTY A

FAQs

What factors does the Nigeria Poverty Assessment 2022 highlight as affecting poverty reduction?

It emphasizes macroeconomic constraints on inclusive growth, climate and conflict shocks, and the added threats from COVID-19 and inflation that can undermine poverty reduction.

How does the report describe poverty in Nigeria in terms of geography and depth?

Poverty is described as both high and spatially unequal, with poverty being “wide and deep” and additional evidence that vulnerability extends beyond those classified as poor.

What role does social protection play according to the report?

Social protection is presented as a mechanism to help households cope with widespread shocks, while also noting that it was limited before COVID-19 and expanded only modestly during the crisis.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Riley