NBS advocates operationalisation of NMPI to improve living standards

From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja

Six months to the 2025 budget planning and implementation of government policies,  the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), yesterday, moved for the operationalization of multi-dimensional poverty index in national and sub-national governments.

In November, 2022, NBS reported that out of the over 200  million Nigerians, 133 million are multi-dimensionally poor.

This means that they have deprivations in more than one dimension or in at least 26 per cent of weighted indicators.

This is contained in the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI)  launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, yesterday.

According to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI)  launched by President Muhammadu Buhari, over half of the population are deprived in cooking fuel. Also,   high deprivations are also apparent in sanitation,  healthcare, food insecurity and housing.

So, in his remarks, at the stakeholders dialogue on the operationalisation of MPI in Abuja, yesterday, the Statistician General of the Federation (SG), said that the dialogue will ensure that policymakers have the tools they need to succeed in their aims of tackling multidimensional poverty.

“The primary objective of the survey was to establish a robust poverty database to inform evidence-based policies and programmes for short, medium, and long-term interventions.

Furthermore, it was also aimed at providing a veritable tool to support budgeting and resource allocation across the different tiers of government in the federation.

“Through this survey, we have provided empirical evidence that identifies key factors contributing to the incidence of multidimensional poverty across the country, from the national level, disaggregated down to the senatorial district level. These factors range from lack of access to basic education, inadequate healthcare, poor living conditions, and limited access to clean water, sanitation, labour, and more.

“Accordingly, policymakers now have access to valuable information that can inform them of the specific pattern of poverty and the specific factors that need to be tackled in their domain to reduce the incidence. This is the added advantage that the MPI brings to the table in the fight against poverty.

“For us at NBS, and by extension the National Statistical System (NSS), operationalising the MPI is certainly a welcome development and one that is well overdue. This means going beyond making the necessary data and evidence available, to designing targeted programmes and policies to address the issues identified within the data. Only when these two things align (the data and the interventions) that we will begin to see meaningful and sustainable changes in the lives of the citizens confronted with poverty” he said

Declaring the event open, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu wondered how, in spite of the efforts the government has made in alleviating poverty, millions of Nigerians still experience multidimensional poverty.

“Our nation faces unique challenges in addressing poverty considering our diverse population and regions. While significant strides have been made in economic growth, millions of Nigerians still experience multidimensional poverty. The recent figures indicate that about 40 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line, but when we apply the MPI, this percentage often reveals deeper, multidimensional aspects of deprivation. The Nigeria MPI brings many concerns together into one headline measure and focuses on people who are being left behind in multiple SDGs at the same time. The government has positioned the Nigeria MPI to play a pivotal role in the hands of discerning stakeholders: policymakers at various levels of government, academia, civil society and the public. The government will continue to support the implementation of the MPI through the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) and the implementation of the 8-Priority Areas of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR Administration.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire had called on both the state and non-state actors for the implementation of the SDGs.

“The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President (OSSAP-SDGs) is working closely with both the state and non-state actors to guarantee an inclusive, participatory and collaborative implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria. Such strategic partnerships demonstrate our collective commitment to the transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development”she said.

Adefulire who was represented by Bala Inusa from the OSSAP, sought for the commitment to work  together as policymakers and development practitioners in support of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Nigeria.