Michael Olugbode in Abuja
ActionAid Nigeria has called on federal and state governments to urgently increase investment in affordable housing, social protection and economic justice, warning that millions of Nigerians remain trapped in poverty amid food insecurity, inadequate shelter and widening inequality.
The organisation said approximately 133 million Nigerians, representing 63 per cent of the population, were living in multidimensional poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics’ 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index.
It added that more recent World Bank estimates indicated that 123 million Nigerians, or 50.8 per cent, lived in extreme monetary poverty in 2025, underscoring the scale of deprivation confronting the country.
ActionAid Nigeria made the call in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja to mark the 2026 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed under the theme, ‘Safe Homes for All,” within the broader 2026–2028 theme, “United for Peace and Human Rights’.
The organisation said the figures reflected different dimensions of poverty but demonstrated the urgent need for effective and inclusive government interventions to improve living conditions.
It also cited a September 2026 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, which estimated that 36.3 million Nigerians faced crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity during the June to August lean season.
According to the statement, UNICEF reported that about 11 million children under five experienced severe food poverty in 2024, while its 2026 humanitarian assessment estimated that three million children required life-saving treatment for severe wasting.
ActionAid Nigeria said the figures highlighted the combined effects of economic hardship, conflict and inadequate access to nutritious food, particularly among vulnerable households.
The organisation identified housing as another major challenge, citing a 2025 World Bank analytical review which estimated that 87 million Nigerians lived in poor housing conditions, alongside a national housing deficit of approximately 17 million units.
It warned that inadequate shelter further deepened poverty among women, children, persons with disabilities and displaced communities, stressing that access to safe and affordable housing was fundamental to human dignity, security and economic opportunity.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, said poverty was not inevitable but sustained by inequality, exclusion and policy decisions that denied millions of Nigerians access to basic necessities and opportunities.
“Poverty is not inevitable. It is sustained by inequality, exclusion and policy choices that continue to deny millions of Nigerians access to necessities and opportunities,” Mamedu said.
He added that no Nigerian family should have to choose between food, shelter, healthcare and education in a country endowed with abundant human and natural resources.
Mamedu called for public budgets that prioritised citizens’ welfare, social protection systems that reached vulnerable households, and economic policies capable of creating decent jobs and reducing inequality.
He said national progress should be measured not only by economic growth but also by improvements in the living conditions of the most vulnerable citizens.
On social protection, ActionAid Nigeria said the National Social Register remained an important mechanism for identifying poor and vulnerable households but stressed that its effectiveness depended on transparency, reliable data, inclusive access and accountable implementation.
It cautioned that registration did not automatically guarantee access to government assistance, urging authorities to ensure that eligible households could benefit from available interventions through fair and effective delivery systems.
The organisation said it was working with partners through the European Union-funded Support for Strengthening Social Protection in Nigeria (ESSPIN) project to raise awareness of the register, promote community participation and advocate accountable social protection systems in Abia, Benue, Oyo and Sokoto states.
It urged federal and state governments to increase funding for safe, adequate and affordable housing, particularly for low-income households, while expanding access to healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation.
ActionAid Nigeria also called for adequately financed and inclusive social protection programmes, decent employment opportunities and fiscal policies that protected vulnerable households rather than worsening inequality.
It urged the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office, State Operations Coordinating Units and other relevant institutions to strengthen transparency, data integrity and public awareness in managing the National Social Register to ensure fair identification of vulnerable households.
The organisation further called on development partners, civil society groups and the media to promote meaningful participation by people experiencing poverty, particularly women, young people and persons with disabilities, while monitoring government commitments and demanding accountability for poverty reduction.
It maintained that poverty eradication required more than temporary relief measures, insisting that sustained public investment, equitable economic policies, accountable institutions and measurable implementation targets were essential to delivering lasting improvements.
“Poverty cannot be eradicated through declarations alone. It requires political will, deliberate investment in people and a collective commitment to justice, equality and human dignity,” the organisation said.
ActionAid Nigeria is a social justice non-governmental organisation working to eradicate poverty and injustice, with a focus on social justice, gender equality and sustainable development.