2026 Int’l poverty eradication day: ActionAid Nigeria calls for urgent investment in housing, social protection

By Stella Odueme

ActionAid Nigeria has called on governments at all levels to prioritise safe and affordable housing, strengthen social protection systems and implement economic policies to address poverty and growing inequality across the country.

The organisation made the call on Saturday, October 17, to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed this year under the theme, “Safe Homes for All,” within the broader 2026–2028 theme, “United for Peace and Human Rights.”

According to ActionAid Nigeria, millions of Nigerians continue to face poverty, food insecurity, inadequate housing and limited access to essential public services, despite the country’s abundant human and natural resources.

The organisation cited the National Bureau of Statistics’ 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index, which estimated that approximately 133 million Nigerians, representing 63 per cent of the population, were living in multidimensional poverty.

It also referenced World Bank estimates indicating that 123 million Nigerians, or 50.8 per cent of the population, lived in extreme monetary poverty in 2025.

ActionAid Nigeria noted that although the figures measure different dimensions of poverty, they highlight the urgent need for effective and inclusive government interventions.

The organisation further cited a September 2026 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, which estimated that 36.3 million Nigerians faced crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity during the June–August 2026 lean season.

It added that UNICEF reported approximately 11 million children under five experienced severe child food poverty in 2024, while its 2026 humanitarian assessment estimated that three million children required life-saving treatment for severe wasting.

On housing, ActionAid Nigeria referenced a 2025 World Bank analytical review estimating that 87 million Nigerians lived in poor housing conditions, with a national housing deficit of approximately 17 million units.

Speaking on the occasion, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr Andrew Mamedu, who signed the statement, said poverty was not inevitable but sustained by inequality, exclusion and policy choices that denied millions of Nigerians access to basic necessities and opportunities.

“Poverty is not inevitable. It is sustained by inequality, exclusion and policy choices that continue to deny millions of Nigerians access to necessities and opportunities,” Mamedu said.

He stressed that no Nigerian family should be forced to choose between food, shelter, healthcare and education in a country endowed with enormous human and natural resources.

Mamedu called for public budgets that prioritise citizens’ welfare, social protection systems that reach vulnerable households and economic policies capable of creating decent jobs and reducing inequality.

He also emphasised the need to ensure that people experiencing poverty have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their lives.

“The true measure of national progress is not simply how much the economy grows, but how significantly the lives of the most vulnerable improve,” he said.

ActionAid Nigeria further stressed that strengthening social protection was essential to breaking the cycle of poverty, noting that the National Social Register provides an important mechanism for identifying poor and vulnerable households.

However, the organisation said the effectiveness of the register depended on transparency, reliable data, inclusive access and accountable implementation.

It explained that inclusion in the register did not automatically guarantee benefits, urging governments to ensure that eligible households could access available support through fair and effective delivery systems.

Through the European Union-funded Support for Strengthening Social Protection in Nigeria (ESSPIN) project, ActionAid Nigeria said it was working with partners to raise awareness of the National Social Register, strengthen community participation and advocate inclusive and accountable social protection systems in Abia, Benue, Oyo and Sokoto states.

The organisation urged federal and state governments to increase investment in safe, adequate and affordable housing, particularly for low-income households, while expanding access to healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation.

It also called for adequate funding and expansion of inclusive social protection programmes, decent work opportunities and economic policies that protect vulnerable households rather than deepen inequality.

ActionAid Nigeria urged the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), State Operations Coordinating Units (SOCUs) and other relevant institutions to strengthen transparency, data integrity, public awareness and accountability in managing the National Social Register.

The organisation also called on government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and the media to promote the meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty, particularly women, young people and persons with disabilities.

It said poverty eradication required more than temporary relief measures, stressing the need for sustained public investment, equitable economic policies, accountable institutions and measurable implementation targets.

Mamedu, in the statement, urged governments, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and citizens to work together towards a Nigeria where every family had access to safe housing, meaningful social protection and fair opportunities to thrive.

He maintained that poverty could not be eradicated through declarations alone, but required political will, deliberate investment in people and a collective commitment to justice, equality and human dignity.

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