The National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) has shown fresh figures ranking Imo State among the least poor states in Nigeria, with 40.7 percent of its population classified as multidimensionally poor.
The report provides a comparative analysis of poverty across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
According to the NMPI figures, Sokoto State tops the list with a staggering 90.5 percent of its residents living in poverty, followed closely by Bayelsa (88.5 percent) and Gombe (86.2 percent).
At the other end of the spectrum, Ondo State has the lowest poverty rate at 27.2 percent, followed by Lagos (29.4 percent) and Abia (29.8 percent).
Imo’s poverty rate of 40.7 percent places it in the lower half of the national table, tied with Osun State at the 30th position.
Observations by INNONEWS shows this means that slightly over four in ten residents in Imo are deprived in multiple dimensions including health, education, standard of living, and access to basic infrastructure. Also, the ranking reflects both the resilience and challenges of the state.
While Imo has fared better than many of its South-East counterparts such as Ebonyi (78 percent) and Enugu (63.1 percent), it still lags behind Anambra (32.1 percent) and Abia (29.8 percent), which recorded significantly lower poverty levels.
An Owerri based economics analyst, Fred Uche said the figures should serve as both a warning and an opportunity. He noted that, despite ranking better than many northern states, the persistence of 40.7 percent poverty signals deep structural challenges in job creation, industrial growth, and social welfare systems in the state.
FULL LIST: Multidimensional poverty across states — Sokoto, Bayelsa, Gombe lead
(9 in 10 Residents in Sokoto are poor)
1. Sokoto: 90.5%
2. Bayelsa: 88.5%
3. Gombe: 86.2%
4. Jigawa: 84.3%
5. Plateau: 84%
6. Yobe: 83.5%
7. Kebbi: 82.2%
8. Taraba: 79.4%
9. Ebonyi: 78%
10. Zamfara: 78%
11. Cross River: 75.4%
12. Benue: 75%
13. Bauchi: 73.9%
14. Kaduna: 73.9%
15. Katsina: 72.7%
16. Borno: 72.5%
17. Akwa Ibom: 71.3%
18. Niger: 69.1%
19. Adamawa: 68.7%
20. Ogun: 68.1%
21. Kano: 66.3%
22. Enugu: 63.1%
23. Rivers: 62.4%
24. Kogi: 61.3%
25. Nasarawa: 60.7%
26. Oyo: 48.7%
27. Kwara: 48.3%
28. FCT: 48.3%
29. Delta: 47.6%
30. Imo: 40.7%
31. Osun: 40.7%
32. Ekiti: 36%
33. Edo: 35.4%
34. Anambra: 32.1%
35. Abia: 29.8%
36. Lagos: 29.4%
37. Ondo: 27.2%
Note: Percentage of the population who are multidimensionally poor
<NMPI 2022>
