88.4m Nigerians living in extreme poverty, says FG

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Temitope Fadeshemi, has revealed that a staggering 88.4 million Nigerians are currently grappling with extreme poverty.

Fadeshemi said this in Kaduna on Wednesday while overseeing the distribution of farm inputs and empowerment materials to 250 smallholder farmers.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the Director of the Department of Extension Services, Mr. Bashir Abdulkadir, said 12.9 percent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as of 2022.

He said, “The level of poverty in Nigeria is alarming. An estimated population of 88.4 million people in Nigeria is living in extreme poverty.

“The number of men living on less than 1.90 U.S. dollars a day in the country reached around 44.7 million, while the count was at 43.7 million for women.

“Overall, 12.9% of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as of 2022.

“This is why the Federal government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, in collaboration with FMAFS, is making conscious efforts to reduce the spate of poverty across the country.”

Speaking further, he described the transformative impact of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) initiative as a significant achievement in the Federal Government’s collective efforts to uplift smallholder farmers and promote sustainable agricultural methods.

According to him, the programme was not merely an investment in agriculture but an investment in the future of the nation.

“I am delighted to remind you that NPRGS, in collaboration with the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Service (FDAE), has diligently enumerated and validated approximately 250 farmers for participation in this transformative programme.

”These farmers are not just the backbone of our agricultural sector; they are the heartbeat that forms the heartbeat of our nation’s prosperity.

”The NPRGS reflects our government’s dedication to addressing poverty at its roots, emphasizing the pivotal role agriculture plays in economic growth and development.

”Through initiatives like today’s training and empowerment programme, we are sowing the seeds of positive change, ensuring that smallholder farmers have the knowledge, resources, and support needed to thrive in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape,” he added.

In his remarks, the State Coordinator of the ministry, Timkat Nanfa, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for counting the state worthy to be part of the beneficiaries of the programme.

He urged the participants to make good use of the empowerment, saying the inputs will help them in their farm operations and also fight poverty.

He listed the items as 175 bags of organic fertilizers, 175 sprayers, 65 bags of maize seeds, and 71 bags of rice seeds.

Others are 14 tins of tomato seeds, 14 tins of pepper seeds, okra seed tins, 1,000 poultry chicks, 40 bags of poultry feeds and 50 bags of fish feeds, among others.