88.4m people in Nigeria living in extreme poverty –FG

Temitope Fadeshemi, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said 88.4 million people in Nigeria are living in extreme poverty.

Fadeshemi announced this during the distribution of farm inputs and empowerment materials to 250 smallholder farmers in Kaduna, Kaduna State.

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

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

”Overall, 12.9 per cent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as of 2022.

”This is why the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, in collaboration with FMAFS, is making conscious efforts at reducing the spate of poverty across the country,” said the government official.

Fadeshemi, who was represented by the Director, Department of Extension Services in the ministry, Bashir Abdulkadir, said the distribution of farm inputs and empowerment materials were extended to the farmers under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS).

According to him, the event mark a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s collective commitment to uplifting the lives of smallholder farmers and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

”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.”