Approximately 54 percent of children in Nigeria are multidimensionally poor, facing at least three deprivations across seven dimensions of child rights including nutrition, healthcare, education, water, sanitation, adequate housing, and information.
This was disclosed in the Situation Analysis of Children in Nigeria, the Multidimensional Child Poverty Analysis in Nigeria and Monetary Child Poverty in Nigeria.
The report, which was launched on Friday, May 27th, 2022 by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo was prepared by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The report also disclosed that the Multidimensional poverty in children is more prevalent in the rural (65.7 %) than urban areas (28.4 %).
It further showed that there were also high state disparities ranging from 14.5 % (Lagos) to 81.5 % (Sokoto).
The monetary child poverty report showed that 47.4 % of children face monetary poverty by living in households with expenditure less than N 376.5 a day – national poverty line.
Slight differences were observed between boys (47.98 %) and girls (46.8 %) while there were high geographical and state disparities (from 6.5% in Lagos to 91.4% in Sokoto).
In Nigeria, according to the report, 24.56% of children faced extreme poverty by living in households that spent less than $1.90 a day.
The analysis indicated that the country would need as roughly as 1 trillion naira to lift children out of poverty.
The Situation Analysis indicated that child poverty rate was highest among children aged 16– 17 years and least among children aged 0–5 years.
It noted that children were most affected by poverty because they were vulnerable, and that poverty had long-term impacts on the well-being of children, even into adulthood.
“Data is critical for effective budgeting and decision making – and the data from these surveys together paint a picture of the situation for children and families in Nigeria,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.
“We still have a long way to go towards ensuring the well-being of children and families in Nigeria, with persistent multi-dimensional poverty being a crucial obstacle. The findings of these reports will help guide the federal and state governments as they plan their budgets – providing evidence for where more funds need to be allocated and wisely spent.”
An analysis of the reports indicated the need for improved social protection measures to ensure that children were protected from risks, along with an expansion of access to much-needed social services.
“Whether looking at poverty from a monetary or non-monetary point of view, the data show that children are more likely to live in poverty than other groups.
“It is clear that we need to pay special attention to planning and programming for children, based on the policy recommendations and calls to action contained in the reports,” Peter Hawkins noted.
“The data they provide offer a clear direction and key actions necessary for the realization of children’s rights in Nigeria.”
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