‘We will use poverty index report for resource allocation’ —Nigerian govt

The Federal Government says it will use the poverty index report released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as a policy tool for targeted resource allocation.

This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, during the inauguration of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
in Abuja on Thursday, organised by the NBS.

Agba said the sub-national MPI, which was conducted across the 109 editorial districts, was aimed at investigating why there was a disconnect between available social welfare opportunities and its uptake.

“The MPI is aimed at influencing design and implementation of projects and also to be used as a policy tool for targeted resource allocation,” the Minister said.

“The 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index is not just another poverty measurement tool but one useful for influencing policies.

READ ALSO:Edo govt accuses Buhari minister, Agba, of inciting communal clashes, threatens to arrest him

“This report provides a more comprehensive view of poverty by not only revealing who is poor, but in what way, and to what degree of intensity.

“This had turned it into a very practical resource for addressing the problems of poverty in all its forms and dimensions.

“The 2022 MPI survey results, therefore, equip us with valuable information available for the first time in our country to adequately and judiciously utilise in designing and implementing more efficient policies and programmes that effectively address poverty in a multidimensional way.”

The Minister added that the official flag-off of the survey took place in August 2021, with the first sub-national MPI survey being completed in February 2022.

“The survey revealed how poverty levels across the states varied significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from as low as 27 per cent in Ondo to as high as 91 per cent in Sokoto,” he said.

“For instance, in Ondo, educational and housing-related deprivations contribute more to multidimensional poverty than in Lagos, where food security, unemployment and shocks contribute more.

“So, using the MPI beyond measurements but as a policy, allows to tailor interventions according to the deprivation profiles of each state, making them more efficient by making data-driven, and evidence-based policies that will result in greater impact.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now