The Statement
Several Nigerian politicians cited a global poverty report claiming that Nigeria had surpassed India as the country with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty.
The Facts
According to a 2018 analysis by the World Poverty Clock and the World Bank, Nigeria had approximately 86–87 million people living below the international extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day, surpassing India at the time.
The analysis attributed the shift to Nigeria’s rapid population growth combined with slow economic expansion.
The Conclusion
Data from global poverty monitoring tools confirmed that Nigeria briefly became the country with the largest number of people living in extreme poverty.