List of Governors Presiding over the Top 10 States with Highest Poverty Rates in Nigeria
Nearly 133 million (63%) Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor, according to the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report recently released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
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The report further indicates that sixty-five per cent of the multidimensionally poor Nigerians (86.1 million) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.
Source: UGC
The poverty index also shows the poverty rates in the 36 states of the federation.
According to the NBS report, poverty levels across states vary significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27% in Ondo state to a high of 91% in Sokoto state.
This piece by Legit.ng provides a further breakdown of the report by highlighting the governors presiding over the states with the highest poverty rates and the political parties they belong to.
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Sokoto state (90.5%) - Aminu Tambuwal, PDP
Sokoto state has the highest number of poor people, according to the NBS. The poverty index indicates the northwestern state has a 90.5% multidimensional poverty rate.
Aminu Tambuwal, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is the state governor.
Bayelsa state (88.5%) - Douye Diri, PDP
Bayelsa, one of the south-south states, has the second-highest poor Nigerians.
The oil-rich state is governed by Senator Douye Diri who is also a member of the main opposition PDP.
Gombe state (86.2%) - Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, APC
Gombe is one of the six states in the northeastern geopolitical zone. The NBS poverty index indicates that it has 86.2% rate.
The state governor is Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Jigawa state (84.3%) - Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, APC
Jigawa, one of the states in the northwest geopolitical zone, has a poverty rate of 84.3%.
The state is governed by Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who is also a member of the ruling APC.
Plateau state (84%) - Simon Lalong, APC
Plateau state has the fifth highest poverty rate (84%). The state is located in the north-central geopolitical zone.
The state governor is Simon Lalong, who also belongs to the ruling APC.
Yobe state (83.5%) - Mai Mala Buni, APC
Occupying the sixth spot on the list of 10 states with the highest poverty rate in Nigeria is Yobe (83.5%).
Yobe, which is also an APC state, is presided over by Governor Mai Mala Buni, a former caretaker chairman of the ruling party.
Kebbi state (82.2%) - Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, APC
Kebbi is one of the seven states that make up the northwest geopolitical political zone. It is seventh on the log with 82.2% poverty rate.
The governor of Kebbi state is Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, a member of the ruling APC.
Taraba state (79.4%) - Darius Dickson Ishaku, PDP
The state with the eighth highest poverty rate in Nigeria is Taraba, one of the six northeastern states.
The opposition PDP is in charge of the state, and the governor is Darius Dickson Ishaku.
Ebonyi state (78%) - David Umahi, APC
Ebonyi, one of the five states in the Igbo-dominated southeast geopolitical zone, has a 78% poverty rate, according to the NBS report.
David Umahi, a member of the APC who contested the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 general election but lost, is Ebonyi state's governor.
Zamfara state (78%) - Bello Matawalle, APC
Zamfara is another northwestern state that features on the list of the top 10 states with the highest poverty rates.
The state, like Ebonyi, has a 78% poverty rate. The governor is Bello Matawalle, an APC member.
States with highest poverty rates: Summary
Out of the 10 states with the highest poverty rates, seven are under the control of the APC, while the remaining three are under the main opposition PDP.
Also, eight of the states are in the northern region, while the remaining two are in the south.
Poverty rate in Nigeria by geopolitical zone, according to NBS report
Meanwhile, the NBS report also spotlights Nigeria's poorest geopolitical zones.
It shows poverty is higher in the north than in the south, with the northwest being the epicentre of poverty in Nigeria.
Despite the monthly allocation by the federal government, the states in the north, mostly plagued by insurgency, banditry and general insecurity, have remained poor.
Source: Legit.ng
