Violence, Insecurity Worsening Household Poverty in Northern Nigeria — Report

A new study by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) has revealed that persistent violence and insecurity are pushing more households into chronic poverty across northern Nigeria, with conflict reducing household spending by as much as 14 percent.

The report, titled Insecurity, LLivelihoods, and Welfare in Northern Nigeria, was jointly conducted by the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network (CPAN) of the Institute of Development Studies, United Kingdom, and the dRPC over a one-year period.

The research was supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Speaking during the virtual launch of the report on Thursday, the researchers urged the Federal Government to integrate peacebuilding efforts with economic empowerment programmes to prevent insecurity from further worsening poverty levels.

Presenting the findings, CPAN Deputy Director, Dr Vidya Diwakar, said the study examined three major conflict patterns using national household survey data and extensive qualitative research.

According to the report, the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgency in the North-East inflicted the most severe and long-lasting economic damage, cutting household expenditure by between eight and 14 per cent.

It added that farmer-herder clashes in the North-Central had the greatest impact on near-poor households, leading to a 14 per cent decline in household spending, while banditry and kidnapping in the North-West reduced expenditure among moderately poor households by between four and 11 per cent.

The study identified livelihood diversification through a combination of farming and non-farming activities as the most effective strategy for protecting households against conflict-induced poverty. However, it noted that many communities still lack adequate support and capacity to adapt to worsening insecurity.

Meanwhile, insecurity continued to claim lives in parts of northern Nigeria.