ActionAid Nigeria Calls for Measurable Poverty Targets

ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to set clear, time-bound, and publicly measurable targets for poverty reduction after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's declaration to "defeat poverty." In a statement from Abuja, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, stressed that the success of economic policies should be assessed through indicators such as household incomes, food security, employment, healthcare access, and education. The World Bank's assessment indicated that 50.8% of Nigerians lived in extreme poverty in 2025, with 69.6% below the $4.20-a-day poverty line.

While Nigeria's real Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.43% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, ActionAid warned that economic growth alone does not equate to poverty reduction. The organization also highlighted food insecurity affecting nearly 36.3 million Nigerians and urged the government to invest in agricultural infrastructure, particularly for smallholder and women farmers.

Mamedu emphasized that prosperity should be measured by the ability of Nigerians to afford nutritious food and secure decent jobs.