By Palma Ileye
ActionAid Nigeria has called on Federal and State governments to increase investment in safe and affordable housing, strengthen social protection programmes and implement economic policies to address poverty and inequality in the country.
The organisation made the call in a statement issued over the weekend in Abuja to mark the 2026 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, with the theme, “Safe Homes for All,” under the broader 2026–2028 theme, “United for Peace and Human Rights.”
According to ActionAid, 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 showed that 123 million Nigerians, representing 50.8 per cent of the population, lived in extreme monetary poverty in 2025.
The organisation noted that although the figures measure different dimensions of poverty, they highlight the urgent need for effective and inclusive government interventions.
It further cited a September 2026 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which estimated that 36.3 million Nigerians faced crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity between June and August 2026.
ActionAid also said UNICEF reported that approximately 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.
On housing, the organisation cited a 2025 World Bank analytical review, which estimated that 87 million Nigerians lived in poor housing conditions, with the country’s housing deficit standing at approximately 17 million units.
Speaking on the situation, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, said poverty was not inevitable but sustained by inequality, exclusion and policy choices that denied millions of Nigerians access to basic necessities and opportunities.
Mamedu, stated: “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. In a country endowed with enormous human and natural resources, no family should have to choose between food, shelter, healthcare and education.
“We need public budgets that prioritise people, social protection systems that reach vulnerable households, and economic policies that create decent jobs and reduce inequality. People experiencing poverty must also have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives. The true measure of national progress is not simply how much the economy grows, but how significantly the lives of the most vulnerable improve.”
“In a country endowed with enormous human and natural resources, no family should have to choose between food, shelter, healthcare and education,” he said.
The Country Director called for public budgets that prioritise citizens’ welfare, stronger social protection systems and economic policies capable of creating decent jobs and reducing inequality.
He added that people experiencing poverty should have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their lives, stressing that national progress should be measured by improvements in the living conditions of vulnerable citizens.
The organisation also emphasised the importance of strengthening the National Social Register (NSR), which provides a mechanism for identifying poor and vulnerable households for social protection interventions.
However, it noted that the effectiveness of the register depended on transparency, reliable data, inclusive access and accountable implementation.
ActionAid explained that inclusion in the register did not automatically guarantee access to benefits, urging governments to ensure that eligible households could access available support through fair and effective delivery systems.
The organisation said that through the European Union-funded Support for Strengthening Social Protection in Nigeria (ESSPIN) project, it was working with partners to raise awareness of the National Social Register, promote community participation and advocate accountable social protection systems in Abia, Benue, Oyo and Sokoto states.
It called on Federal and State governments to increase investment in adequate and affordable housing for low-income households while expanding access to healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation.
ActionAid also urged governments to adequately fund and expand inclusive social protection programmes, promote decent work and fair economic opportunities, and ensure that fiscal policies protected vulnerable households rather than deepen inequality.
It further called on the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), State Operations Coordinating Units (SOCUs) and other relevant institutions to strengthen transparency, data integrity, public awareness and accountability in managing the National Social Register.
The organisation urged government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and the media to promote the participation of people experiencing poverty, particularly women, young people and persons with disabilities, in decisions affecting their welfare.
It stressed that poverty eradication required sustained public investment, equitable economic policies, accountable institutions and clear implementation targets rather than temporary relief measures.
“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.
