Reps lament report on projected 141m Nigerians living below poverty line

The House of Representatives on Thursday expressed grave concern over a report indicating that the number of Nigerians living below the poverty line may increase from 139 million to 141 million in 2026, due to economic pressures, including inflation and weak growth.

The lawmakers expressed their concerns during the debate on the motion on urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Khadijat Bukar-Ibrahim, who underscored the need for deliberate agriculture recovery in the North East region of the country.

She said: “The House also notes that Nigeria also faces a severe food security challenge with the United Nations World Food Programme projecting that around 35 million Nigerians will face severe food insecurity in 2026, the highest on the African continent.

“The House is aware that millions of Nigerians are unable to afford basic food items and essential services, thereby aggravating food insecurity and malnutrition, especially among women, children, the elderly and the internally displaced persons.

“The House is cognizant that the North East region of Nigeria is predominantly agrarian, with crop production and livestock farming serving as the main source of livelihood. But for several years, farming activities were severely hindered due to insurgency, displacement of rural populations, destruction of farmlands and loss of productive assets.

“The House is worried that although security has improved in many parts of the North East, a large number of farmers remain unable to resume full agricultural activities due to lack of access to inputs, financing, extension services, irrigation facilities, forage and rural infrastructure necessary for agricultural recovery.

“The House is further worried that failure to fully reintegrate displaced farmers into existing agricultural recovery and food security initiatives will continue to entrench poverty, hunger and dependency in the region with negative implications for national food security, economic stability and peace-building efforts.”

To this end, the House urged the Federal Government, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), to strengthen and harmonise ongoing national poverty reduction, food security, and post-conflict agricultural recovery initiatives with a deliberate focus on agrarian communities affected by insecurity.

The House also mandated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with relevant MDAs and the North East Development Commission (NEDC), to mainstream farmers in the North East into engaging with agrarian communities in the North East.

The lawmakers also mandated NEDC to provide a comprehensive and comprehensive report on food security for the region.

In the same vein, the lawmakers stressed the need to ensure that the existing agricultural recovery programmes are geared toward providing timely access to farm inputs, credit support, extension services, mechanisms, irrigation, storage, and value chain development to restore livelihoods and boost food production.

The House also tasked all relevant Standing Committees on NEDC and Agricultural Production on the need to intensify oversight on agricultural recovery, poverty alleviation, and food security interventions, particularly in conflict-affected regions and report back to the House with recommendations to ensure transparency, inclusiveness, and measurable impact.