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World Bank Predicts 3.6% Increase in Poverty Rate for Nigeria by 2027
According to the World Bank’s latest Africa’s Pulse report, Nigeria’s economic outlook is dimming, with projections indicating a 3.6 percentage point increase in the poverty rate by 2027. The findings were unveiled during the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington, D.C.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The report identifies Nigeria’s overdependence on oil, persistent economic instability, and governance deficiencies as major factors obstructing effective poverty reduction. It also classifies Nigeria, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a resource-rich yet fragile nation where poverty is expected to rise despite economic activity in sectors outside oil.
While Nigeria’s non-oil economy recorded moderate growth in the final quarter of 2024, the World Bank warns that these gains may not benefit the wider population due to entrenched fiscal weaknesses and institutional inefficiencies.
Sub-Saharan Africa, home to the world’s poorest populations, hosted about 80% of the global total of 695 million extremely poor individuals in 2024. In this region, four countries—including Nigeria—account for half of the 560 million people living in extreme poverty.
Comparatively, other global regions report far lower concentrations of extreme poverty: South Asia (8%), East Asia and the Pacific (2%), the Middle East and North Africa (5%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (3%).
The report attributes this trend in Nigeria to declining oil revenues and fragile governance frameworks. It notes a common pattern where countries with abundant natural resources and political instability suffer the highest poverty rates—reaching an average of 46% in 2024, which is 13 percentage points higher than more stable, resource-rich economies.
Interestingly, African nations without significant natural resource wealth are experiencing stronger growth and more rapid poverty reduction. This success is largely driven by favorable agricultural commodity prices and sounder fiscal policies.
To reverse Nigeria’s trajectory, the World Bank calls for urgent economic reforms focused on inclusive growth, enhanced fiscal discipline, and improved transparency. The institution emphasizes the need for Nigeria to build a stronger social contract with its citizens and invest in long-term strategies that can sustainably reduce poverty.
The State Wing Executive Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has ordered all public primary and secondary school teachers in Abuja to commence an indefinite strike from Monday.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The union also directed parents and guardians to keep their children at home until further notice, citing unresolved welfare concerns and what it described as government inaction.
This followed a communiqué issued after an emergency SWEC meeting held in Gwagwalada, Abuja, over the weekend and signed by the state leadership of the union.
Teachers were instructed to fully comply with the strike directive and await further instructions from the union leadership, as the industrial action remains in force until their demands are addressed.
According to the communiqué, the strike became necessary after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, which elapsed without a satisfactory response.
The union recalled that although previous interventions led to the suspension of an earlier strike, several key issues affecting teachers’ welfare were still unresolved.
It also expressed concern that a committee set up to address outstanding entitlements submitted its report in August 2025, but the findings have not been made public or implemented.
While acknowledging the payment of the new minimum wage and some salary arrears, the union insisted that major concerns remain unattended.
The NUT further demanded reforms in promotion processes and a review of the 2024 promotion exercise.
After what it described as unsuccessful engagements and expired deadlines, the union declared that all teachers in the FCT will remain on strike indefinitely until their demands are met.
Nigerian actor and filmmaker Emmanuel Ikubese has spoken about the breakdown of his marriage to celebrity makeup artist Anita Adetoye.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The couple tied the knot in March 2020 in a widely publicised wedding that attracted attention nationwide. However, by February 2021, speculation about a split began after Ikubese deleted their wedding photos from Instagram and both parties unfollowed each other on social media.
Speaking on the Archives of Becoming Podcast, Ikubese described the end of the marriage as a painful personal setback. He said it made him deeply question himself, especially as someone who had always hoped for a stable family life.
According to him, achieving marriage had felt like a major life goal, and its collapse left him feeling as though he had failed. He added that the public nature of their wedding made the experience even more difficult, leaving him exposed and emotionally shaken.
He explained that the experience pushed him into deep reflection about his identity and life direction, describing it as a turning point that forced him to re-evaluate himself. He also noted that he could only speak from his own experience and not on behalf of his ex-wife.
Ikubese further revealed that the breakup brought him significant emotional pain and altered how he viewed life, eventually drawing him closer to his faith as he searched for answers.
“It was an identity thing. If you don’t find your identity, you always find yourself in moments like this… God needed a reset, and that was the reset for me,” he said.
“I had always desired a family… The wedding I had was very high-profile… and I just felt like I’d failed.
“It changed my life… it felt like I had to go back to God and ask, ‘Where did I miss this?’
“I was always a lost Emmanuel… fame just felt good… I didn’t even understand why I was in the industry… 2020 was just a crash.”
Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has explained why he left the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying his experience in the party became unbearable and forced him to move on.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He made this known during an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Akinbaloye, where he reflected on his time in the ruling party and his decision to exit.
Melaye said the political environment he found himself in at the time no longer aligned with his values, adding that he had to step away to reassess his direction in politics.
He compared the decision to a major personal turning point, stressing that it was not made hastily but after deep reflection on his future.
According to him, leaving the party was necessary for his personal and political survival as the situation had become difficult to manage.
He said the experience marked a significant change in his political journey, prompting him to seek a new path that better suited his beliefs and ambitions.
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