Lack of access to education is emerging as one of the strongest indicators of poverty in Nigeria, with new figures showing that more than eight in every 10 adults without formal education live below the poverty threshold.
The report highlights a strong link between educational attainment and living standards, with nearly 83% of Nigerians aged 16 and above with no formal education are living below the poverty threshold,
The World Bank’s latest poverty assessment shows that the rate falls sharply among Nigerians with higher levels of education.
The figures show that 82.9% of Nigerians without formal education live below the $4.20-a-day poverty threshold.
The rate falls to 60.9% among those who completed primary education and 51.6% for those with secondary education.
For Nigerians with tertiary or post-secondary qualifications, the rate drops further to 26.6%. The disparity means Nigerians without formal education are more than three times as likely to live in poverty as those with tertiary qualifications.
But the findings also show that education alone does not guarantee financial security, with more than half of Nigerians with secondary education still living below the poverty threshold.
The report identifies children as the group facing the highest poverty burden, with 73% of Nigerians aged zero to 14 living below the same threshold.
Beyond income, the World Bank identifies gaps in basic services as part of the wider poverty challenge. It says 41.5% of Nigerians lack access to electricity, while 34% lack adequate sanitation and 21.5% lack basic drinking water services.
The World Bank estimates that Nigeria’s national poverty rate has risen from 40.1% in 2019 to 56.2% in 2023 and about 63% in 2026.
It also projects that 69.5% of Nigerians could be living below the $4.20-a-day threshold this year.
The figures underscore the need to address education, human capital and access to basic services alongside efforts to improve incomes and create productive jobs.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
