Top 10 Poorest States in Nigeria brings to your knowledge and perusal the 10 poorest states in Nigeria, according to the most recent statistics.
Top Ten Most Poorest States in Nigeria
Top 10 Poorest States in Nigeria:
- Sokoto State (82.1 %)
- Katsina State (74.5 %)
- Adamawa State (74.2 %)
- Gombe State (74.2 %)
- Jigawa State (74.1 %)
- Plateau State (74.1 %)
- Ebonyi State (73.6 %)
- Bauchi State (73 %)
- Kebbi State (72 %)
- Zamfara State (70.8 %)
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In some parts of Nigeria, poverty is at a high rate as a result of economic decay and other prevailing factors. Recent rankings had revealed that Sokoto leads the train of the 10 poorest States in Nigeria and so, we will be laying emphasis on Sokoto state.
Nigeria, being the giant of Africa and believed to be the best economy in Africa is blessed with diverse natural resources like crude oil, human labor, and fertile land for agriculture.
These natural endowments are domiciled in some parts of the country, with some parts left with little or nothing.
Even with this, the proceeds from crude oil, agriculture, and entrepreneurship are enough to uplift the economies of these states to some extent.
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It is pitiable that there are yet some states whose economies are in comatose like Sokoto state with an 81.2% poverty rate.
A body is known as The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) revealed that 26.6 percent of Nigeria’s over 170 million people are destitute, while 68.0 percent and 84.5 percent of the Nigerian population live below $1.25 per day and $2 per day.
The Northern part of Nigeria takes the lead in the average poverty rate of states in the country with the North-West geopolitical zone clinching the top spot at 71.4 percent followed by North-East 69.1 percent and North Central, 60.7 percent.
The six states in the South-West recorded an average poverty rate of 49.8 percent, followed by the South-South, 55.5 percent, and South-East, 59.5 percent.
The National Bureau of Statistics, an agency that oversees and publishes statistics in Nigeria, recently released the ranking of the top 10 states as the poorest States in Nigeria with over 70 percent poverty rate.
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The following are the 10 poorest States in Nigeria
- Sokoto State (82.1 %)
- Katsina State (74.5 %)
- Adamawa State (74.2 %)
- Gombe State (74.2 %)
- Jigawa State (74.1 %)
- Plateau State (74.1 %)
- Ebonyi State (73.6 %)
- Bauchi State (73 %)
- Kebbi State (72 %)
- Zamfara State (70.8 %)
The major causes of poverty in Nigeria are the growing rate of unemployment, corruption on the path of leaders, and lack of interest in entrepreneurship by citizens, etc.
The statistical distribution of Nigeria was rated medium, at 0.43 in 2010. Howbeit, there are more rural poor than urban poor. This is compared between infrastructure and amenities.
This is occasioned by the composition of Nigeria’s economy, especially the energy (oil) and agricultural sectors.
Oil exports contribute immensely to government revenues; it contributes 9% to the GDP and employs only a fraction of the population.
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Agriculture, on the other hand, contributes to about 17% of the GDP and employs about 30% of the population.
This correspondence is compounded by the fact that oil revenue is poorly distributed among the population, with higher government spending in urban areas than in rural areas. High rates of unemployment render personal incomes even more divergent.
More so, the process of oil extraction has resulted in significant pollution, which has further harmed the agricultural sector.
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