Taiw:

i served in d north ,i can tell u categorically dat majority dont even earn up to half of N300 n dey still survive.ask God.pple go to restaurants,parties hotels to beg 4 leftovers dat dey used in feedin deir families.one idiotic nl said pple re poor n yet dey still ave fones.any smart person can ave a fone.sumone i knew bought a fone 4 N200 even in computer village,u can get used fones 4 dat amount,sum even steal it.will u nw say dey re nt poor cos dey still ave fones?wat bout pple dat pick d clothes dey wear frm dustbins,even go frm house 2 house begging 4 used clothes.pple actually live below dat amount.i wud rather choose 2 b poor in uk than in naija.atleast i noe i'll enjoy light,roads and govt. benefits.i tink d statics of 80percent is justified if u luk around u well

You certainly live in the Uk and have no clue. About the north, you are right to some extent, because of the high rate of almajiris. But in the south, you are soooo wrong. There are a lot of people suffering but not 80%. Phones do not sell for N200 in computer village. Not even stolen phones. You can get like N1200 for the lowest level nokia phones. It is very true that many Nigerians can afford a phone and therefore do not fall into the category that live on $2. On top of that, just go to the beer parlours around very poor areas like Musihn and Ajegunle and see the so called poor people drinking bottles of beer. A bottle of beer costs around N130. The truth is that suffering is a relative term. A man earning 100k a month can still be said to be suffering.

edicolove:

You certainly live in the Uk and have no clue. About the north, you are right to some extent, because of the high rate of almajiris. But in the south, you are soooo wrong. There are a lot of people suffering but not 80%. Phones do not sell for N200 in computer village. Not even stolen phones. You can get like N1200 for the lowest level nokia phones. It is very true that many Nigerians can afford a phone and therefore do not fall into the category that live on $2. On top of that, just go to the beer parlours around very poor areas like Musihn and Ajegunle and see the so called poor people drinking bottles of beer. A bottle of beer costs around N130. The truth is that suffering is a relative term. A man earning 100k a month can still be said to be suffering.

you are the one clueless here.
80% of nigerians are suffering and i am willing to bet the percentage is closer to 90 than 80.

20% of nigeria(the affluents) is 32 million.
that's almost 5 times the population of libya and that number is more than all the neighbouring west african countries put together.
the people you see in those beer parlours and selling phones are in the 20% category. they are not "poor".

coogar:

you are the one clueless here.
80% of nigerians are suffering and i am willing to bet the percentage is closer to 90 than 80.

20% of nigeria(the affluents) is 32 million.
that's almost 5 times the population of libya and that number is more than all the neighbouring west african countries put together.
the people you see in those beer parlours and selling phones are in the 20% category. they are not "poor".

Miss Coogar

Let me re-interpret something for you.

80% of Nigerians live on <$2 per day = 80% of the Nigerians you know live on <$2 per day = 4 out of 5 Nigerians you know live on <$2 per day.

Does that sound correct to  you? ? ?

ziga:

Miss Coogar

Let me re-interpret something for you.

80% of Nigerians live on <$2 per day = 80% of the Nigerians you know live on <$2 per day = 4 out of 5 Nigerians you know live on <$2 per day.

Does that sound correct to  you? ? ?

very correct.

because we all belong to the top 10% of the people living well, we tend to think everyone's alright. everyone here has a laptop and a wifi connection or a phone powered by 3g/edge. we all make the top 10% in that country and we tend to have affiliates or know people like us so we believe all is well and dandy. that is so far from the truth. the fact is. . . . .the majority live below $2.

go to damaturu, zamfara, the jungles of gombe etc and go and see people who don't know who obama is, people who are far away from civilization then the reality will hit you. the united nations are not silly. they see what we don't see. you probably lived all your life in lagos. used to seeing exotic cars, designer gear, etc and you think that is what the population can afford!

you are so so clueless!

n.b. the next time you call me miss - i will call you a whor[i]e[/i]
coogar is a bloke!

Hi everyone,

The reason I created this thread was to engage healthy debate on the topic. I wanted to see how people would react, and get a clue to how the average Nigerian thinks.

My personal opinion is that 80% of Nigerians definitely don't live on less than $2/day, but I was looking for someone who says otherwise to come up with statistics, and facts that are verifiable. Let's move past the using sentiments to solve our problems stage, because that's part of our many problems too.

Saying some people here are hungry looking, they haven't got salaries for 6 months blah blah blah, that's all irrelevant to the debate.

All you need do is ask:

These so-called poor people, what's the cumulative worth of their other daily expenditures + feeding (whether they buy the food or not)?

I am not saying the average Nigerian spends more than $2/day, what I am saying is that the average Nigerian lives on much more than $2/day. There's a difference.

Don't these guys eat? Are they not clothed? Don't they have mobiles? + they simply haven't died of starvation.

We all know the roads are bad, there's corruption, and people are suffering which is all true. But until we start thinking from a problem solving perspective, we would never reach the levels the Chinese and Japanese got to by believing in themselves.

Again, statistics, facts and figures to either disprove the topic or support the topic is what's needed.

coogar:

very correct.

because we all belong to the top 10% of the people living well, we tend to think everyone's alright. everyone here has a laptop and a wifi connection or a phone powered by 3g/edge. we all make the top 10% in that country and we tend to have affiliates or know people like us so we believe all is well and dandy. that is so far from the truth. the fact is. . . . .the majority live below $2.

go to damaturu, zamfara, the jungles of gombe etc and go and see people who don't know who obama is, people who are far away from civilization then the reality will hit you. the united nations are not silly. they see what we don't see. you probably lived all your life in lagos. used to seeing exotic cars, designer gear, etc and you think that is what the population can afford!

I think your mentality is the problem. You are going on and on talking about living far away from civilization, knowing obama etc etc. . . Look missy, that is not what we are talking about here, so your argument is off-beat. All that shi.t doesn't mean crap.

We are talking about only the people who live on less than $2 daily. It's actually very simple.

Actually, you are correct, i grew up in Lagos, but unfortunately, there are also many poor people in Lagos just like in other parts of the country, so your point is pointless

coogar:



n.b. the next time you call me miss - i will call you a whor[i]e[/i]
coogar is a bloke!

You really sound like a frustrated kid judging from your last few sentences here. Just be careful not to break mummy's laptop!!!

@Coogar and @brainpulse, you ve really made your points. You dont need to explain yourselves further. Anybody who wants to ask any questions should read your posts for answers. I admire the intelligence and unbiasness although I lol at the comment about alaska. The problem with majority of Nigerians is they are too bias. Rather than tackle the massage they are tackling the messenger. They forget that the remaining 15% is wide enough to accept people on here. Nigeria is poor period. That 80% is outdated. 85% is it today!!!! How many abokis that charge #20 make #300 a day x millions of them in every city? How many 'touts', offloaders. Here is where people eat without being sure of next. BITTCCH PLS!!

Iolo:

Hi everyone,

The reason I created this thread was to engage healthy debate on the topic. I wanted to see how people would react, and get a clue to how the average Nigerian thinks.

My personal opinion is that 80% of Nigerians definitely don't live on less than $2/day, but I was looking for someone who says otherwise to come up with statistics, and facts that are verifiable. Let's move past the using sentiments to solve our problems stage, because that's part of our many problems too.

Saying some people here are hungry looking, they haven't got salaries for 6 months blah blah blah, that's all irrelevant to the debate.

All you need do is ask:

These so-called poor people, what's the cumulative worth of their other daily expenditures + feeding (whether they buy the food or not)?

I am not saying the average Nigerian spends more than $2/day, what I am saying is that the average Nigerian lives on much more than $2/day. There's a difference.

Don't these guys eat? Are they not clothed? Don't they have mobiles? + they simply haven't died of starvation.

We all know the roads are bad, there's corruption, and people are suffering which is all true. But until we start thinking from a problem solving perspective, we would never reach the levels the Chinese and Japanese got to by believing in themselves.

Again, statistics, facts and figures to either disprove the topic or support the topic is what's needed.

@Iolo
Unfortunately, I don't think anybody will be able to logically make a case to disprove your points. Nigerians don't like to be challenged, they prefer to remain wherever they have been put and blame anything else for their situation. . . the Government, Pastor, God ets ets.

Clearly this thread proves that maybe up to 80% of Nigerians are unintelligent and are emotionally unstable.

Mr. Globe:

@Coogar and @brainpulse, you ve really made your points. You dont need to explain yourselves further. Anybody who wants to ask any questions should read your posts for answers. I admire the intelligence and unbiasness although I lol at the comment about alaska. The problem with majority of Nigerians is they are too bias. Rather than tackle the massage they are tackling the messenger. They forget that the remaining 15% is wide enough to accept people on here. Nigeria is poor period. That 80% is outdated. 85% is it today!!!! How many abokis that charge #20 make #300 a day x millions of them in every city? How many 'touts', offloaders. Here is where people eat without being sure of next. BITTCCH PLS!!

you nailed it with your first comment, bro.

even if they make 1000 naira a day as income. you still have to deduct his overheads from that.
a fact that eludes ziga with his vacuous reasoning. a vulcanizer must pay taxes to the countless of touts that harass him. there are other issues, the cost of his equipment, he puts gas in the cylinders, etc.

ziga reminds me of a window-licker.

ziga:

I think your mentality is the problem. You are going on and on talking about living far away from civilization, knowing obama etc etc. . . Look missy, that is not what we are talking about here, so your argument is off-beat. All that shi.t doesn't mean crap.

you are not intelligent enough to discern the difference between spending [/b]and [b]living.

We are talking about only the people who live on less than $2 daily. It's actually very simple.

yes, more than 80% live on $2 daily in nigeria unless you are a blind bat.

Actually, you are correct, i grew up in Lagos, but unfortunately, there are also many poor people in Lagos just like in other parts of the country, so your point is pointless

you are a tool!
there aren't so many poor people in lagos. they just choose to live rough while building dream homes in their villages. majority of those ones are not the ones that are living below $2 per day and the 20% living well can still accommodate those ones you see in lagos hustling to make a living.

your problem is the math!
but if you think there are more than 32 million nigerians living well, then you need a spiritual deliverance.

You really sound like a frustrated kid judging from your last few sentences here. Just be careful not to break mummy's laptop!!!

you sound like a mongolian [i]i[/i]diot being fisted by goblins.

ziga:

@Iolo
Unfortunately, I don't think anybody will be able to logically make a case to disprove your points. Nigerians don't like to be challenged, they prefer to remain wherever they have been put and blame anything else for their situation. . . the Government, Pastor, God ets ets.

Clearly this thread proves that maybe up to 80% of Nigerians are unintelligent and are emotionally unstable.

I've been lol @ what you just said, especially the emotionally unstable part.

Thing is I'm hugely patriotic, not in the present Nigeria, but the future Nigeria we can build for ourselves. But it seems like the average man will rather sit down, wait for God to conduct the revolution and it's life goes on. This "the politicians run this country, we have no business with it, so I will just pray and go my way" mentality is bad.

And for people who are thinking we can even start a revolution in this country like what happened in the middle east, truth is we can't. Why? The average Nigerian isn't bothered about the country's future. We just want what we'll use to manage ourselves till the savior comes.

I'm beginning this whole thing is a ploy to prevent Africa from moving forward. Or maybe the white's are only taking advantage of our gullibility as the churches have. Why don't they tell the world how many people in China live on less than $2/day? Even if they do, the Chinese simply don't care, they have a country to build. 

Disclaimer: I'm a Christian and believe in God, so that's not the issue.

@ziga you are the unintelligent one and emotionally unstable one on this thread even stephen wonder can see that. Go back and read all YOUR post on this thread and compare it with the rest. Yours lacked objectivity. If the 80% was based on illiteracy and du.mbness, I will really throw you in there. If after reading some objective and factful post here and you think 80% poverty rate in Nigeria is not generous you must be on crac'k.
Nigerian universities one of the 'substandardest' in the world, poor roads, no light, no business oriented economy, no social safety net, very high income inequality etc. How many people overseas will do aboki, conductors, agberos etc at its crudest form? Nigerians should begin to tackle the problem and not the messenger. Ve visited PH and I saw people (a community) living in houses built with zincs, planks etc. I was really touched.

@Iolo maybe you didnt read that china recently drove majority of its poor into the middle class. There is no middleclass in Nigeria. None. You say the 'whites' are against your success but you collect aid from. We are not against a revolution in Nigeria but we must first understand where its pinching us. There are statistics on other nations but we must reject ours without bringing ours.

[size=15pt]Mr Globe said:

@ziga you are the unintelligent one and emotionally unstable one on this thread even stephen wonder can see that. Go back and read all the post on this thread and compare it with the rest. If the 80% was based on illiteracy and du.mbness, I will really throw you in there. If after reading some objective and factful post here and you think 80% poverty rate in Nigeria is not generous you must be on crac'k.
Nigerian universities one of the 'substandardest' in the world, poor roads, no light, no business oriented economy, no social safety net, very high income inequality etc. How many people overseas will do aboki, conductors, agberos etc at its crudest form? Nigerians should begin to tackle the problem and not the messenger. Ve visited PH and I saw people (a community) living in houses built with zincs, planks etc. I was really touched.

At Mr Globe,with due respect,i think you are the freak in this whole equation. To say that Nigeria does not have a business oriented economy makes u a first class mugu on this thread. I'm begining to believe that u are one of those security guards in Uk with a masters degree from Uniport. Stories from your peers based in Nigeria who have made it big time is a no no to ur ears, You simply console urself by declaring daily 'that Nigerian universities one of the 'substandardest' in the world, poor roads, no light, no business oriented economy, no social safety net, very high income inequality etc. How many people overseas will do aboki, conductors, agberos etc at its crudest form?'

OLODO 1ST CLASS [/size]

Mr. Globe:

@Iolo maybe you didnt read that china recently drove majority of its poor into the middle class. There is no middleclass in Nigeria. None. You say the 'whites' are against your success but you collect aid from. We are not against a revolution in Nigeria but we must first understand where its pinching us. There are statistics on other nations but we must reject ours without bringing ours.

Lol, did they use koboko or broom to drive them? Just kidding. My point is that China has much more poor people by numbers (not %) so it's easy to say for example, there are 700M poor people in China just like the 80% bull they do to Nigeria.

Why would you say there is no middle class in Nigeria?

Bankers, Civil servants (level 8 and up), Doctors, Nurses, Entrepreneurs, Private firm workers, Federal University lecturers etc etc, please where do these people fall into? Cause to me they aren't poor and they aren't rich either.


Even danfo drivers are not poor poor cause they make 20 - 30k+ monthly when you deduct agbero, police taxation from their incomes.

Some of you guys keep showing why Nigerians have a high failure rate. Nobody said many Nigerians are not poor. The @op was very specific. 80% of Nigerians dont live on $2 a day. I have lived in PH, Benin, Warri, Aba and temporarily stayed in Benue, Akwa Ibom, Kano and visited many other places. 80% does not live on $2 a day. I dont know where you guys got that from. Please tell which category of workers live on $2 a day? A lot of people are suffering. That I have Internet connection and posting here doesnt mean I havent suffered before. I went thru the iniversity for 6 years so I know first hand how hard it is. But even as a student, i was able to work and go to school and make far more than that. You people just come to NL and post things you have no clue of. No one can survive on $2 a day in most cities in Nigeria. They will die in less than 3 months. You guys just like to sound like dooms day prophets. From Ikeja to surulere is minimum N150 and you say 80% live on $2 a day. Its funny how you say it like you have any statistics. There is no statistics in Nigeria. There is no proper database anywhere. Everything is speculation. So please dont post wrong information.

edicolove:

Some of you guys keep showing why Nigerians have a high failure rate. Nobody said many Nigerians are not poor. The @op was very specific. 80% of Nigerians dont live on $2 a day. I have lived in PH, Benin, Warri, Aba and temporarily stayed in Benue, Akwa Ibom, Kano and visited many other places. 80% does not live on $2 a day. I dont know where you guys got that from. Please tell which category of workers live on $2 a day? A lot of people are suffering. That I have Internet connection and posting here doesnt mean I havent suffered before. I went thru the iniversity for 6 years so I know first hand how hard it is. But even as a student, i was able to work and go to school and make far more than that. You people just come to NL and post things you have no clue of. No one can survive on $2 a day in most cities in Nigeria. They will die in less than 3 months. You guys just like to sound like dooms day prophets. From Ikeja to surulere is minimum N150 and you say 80% live on $2 a day. Its funny how you say it like you have any statistics. There is no statistics in Nigeria. There is no proper database anywhere. Everything is speculation. So please dont post wrong information.

so you don't see people trekking from ikeja to surulere? are you actually aware it's possible for everyone staying in lagos not to be in the 80% category? 20% of the people living well is a staggering 32 million population. i doubt more than 10 million people stay in lagos so your argument falls flat in the face if you keep concentrating on lagos.

Maybe.

Mr. Globe:

@ziga you are the unintelligent one and emotionally unstable one on this thread even stephen wonder can see that. Go back and read all YOUR post on this thread and compare it with the rest. Yours lacked objectivity. If the 80% was based on illiteracy and du.mbness, I will really throw you in there. If after reading some objective and factful post here and you think 80% poverty rate in Nigeria is not generous you must be on crac'k.
Nigerian universities one of the 'substandardest' in the world, poor roads, no light, no business oriented economy, no social safety net, very high income inequality etc. How many people overseas will do aboki, conductors, agberos etc at its crudest form? Nigerians should begin to tackle the problem and not the messenger. Ve visited PH and I saw people (a community) living in houses built with zincs, planks etc. I was really touched.

Lol.
Your words are funny and you sound really angry. I wonder why

Read the title of the thread and compare with your arguments. @ 2nd quote in bold.

Illiteracy is also one big problem with us Nigerians, and too many people take advantage of that.

I personally don't think that 2 dollars theory is important to the rate of poverty in Nigeria. The poverty in Nigeria can only be well addressed if the basic needs of the people are meant - good roads, constant supply of water and electricity,affordable clothes, good public transportation,etc which we all know are not there, not to make mention of 2 dollars when 300 Naira is a huge money to an average Nigerian. Where the govt. missed the mark is they are not making sure all these amenities and things necessary for comfort for average Nigerians are not available. When they are in place then 2 dollar measurement can quite fit in on a level playing field, not until then this is just another stupid outlook for the living standard of the country, which can quite be deceitful.

Somebody said Nigerians eat junks food and go on to use that to further complicate issue by comparing the level of poverty with that of Britain. Even if Nigerians were to be eating roughages that is not an excuse for living below 2 dollars line, just that those are the kind of food found in Nigeria in large quantities, cheap and they are not as bad or junks for the citizens. Please, the 2 dollars' doesn't make any difference at all, what is important is provision of basic facilities and growing the economy so that the population can live better.Meanwhile, the frustrating looks of many Nigerians can really tell that there is abject poverty taking place at a large scale in the country.

You might be surprised to know that Nigerian case is far worse than Ethiopian's!Nigeria 70% while South African 50 % of their population compare to Ethiopia 38.7% are living below poverty line.

There's no amount of explanation that would satisfy some of you, who are just basically ignorant. Just because you make 30,000 naira per month doesn't mean you live above $2 per day. The statistics is calculated based on GDP, minimum salary range and unemployment number, unless most of you whacks are economically smarter than those calculating such statistics, I suggest you keep shut. I'm tired of all the useless analysis, If you say you're unemployed and living above $2 per day, then you're bigger trouble than you think! Nigerians need 2 seriously educate themselves, I'm not just talking about university education, common sense education is what is needed.  In a country with over 40% unemployed and another 30% making less than 30k per month, seriously how can you not see that the people are suffering. $2 or $3, whatever, majority of Nigerians are poor, poor and poor!!!!!

abbey621:

There's no amount of explanation that would satisfy some of you, who are just basically ignorant. Just because you make 30,000 naira per month doesn't mean you live above $2 per day. T[b]he statistics is calculated based on GDP, minimum salary range and unemployment number, unless most of you whacks are economically smarter than those calculating such statistics, I suggest you keep shut.[/b] I'm tired of all the useless analysis, If you say you're unemployed and living above $2 per day, then you're bigger trouble than you think! Nigerians need 2 seriously educate themselves, I'm not just talking about university education, common sense education is what is needed.  In a country with over 40% unemployed and another 30% making less than 30k per month, seriously how can you not see that the people are suffering. $2 or $3, whatever, majority of Nigerians are poor, poor and poor!!!!!

You can see why this 2 dollars issue is very wrong - South Africa has a larger GDP and lower population compare to Ethiopia yet those living below poverty line in Ethiopia is smaller than those in South Africa. I think it's a wrong outlook for any country to use as a measure in providing for its population.

abbey621:

There's no amount of explanation that would satisfy some of you, who are just basically ignorant. Just because you make 30,000 naira per month doesn't mean you live above $2 per day. The statistics is calculated based on GDP, minimum salary range and unemployment number, unless most of you whacks are economically smarter than those calculating such statistics, I suggest you keep shut. I'm tired of all the useless analysis, If you say you're unemployed and living above $2 per day, then you're bigger trouble than you think! Nigerians need 2 seriously educate themselves, I'm not just talking about university education, common sense education is what is needed.  In a country with over 40% unemployed and another 30% making less than 30k per month, seriously how can you not see that the people are suffering. $2 or $3, whatever, majority of Nigerians are poor, poor and poor!!!!!

Mr. Oga,
Nobody is arguing that Poverty doesn't exist in Nigeria. And that seems to be where a lot of people get it wrong. The points that were raised were very simple. Poverty is a very complicated terminology with lots of definitions. The <$2/day figure is about relating levels of poverty in different countries to balance things out. And OP's points are that this is a flawed design, just like there is no perfect design.

But all the professors here can't even identify with that simple statement. haba!!!

It seems you might have some knowledge about statistics, and if i am correct, you know that not all statistical methods are appropriate.

Regardless of what method they have used, the fact remains that it is not a correct representation of the Nigerian situation.

If you have attended sessions where statistical figures have been discussed, you will know what i mean.

I don't know of any other way to explain the points that some people have raised so far!!!

Haha, abbey pls calm down, also understand there is too much illiteracy in the country some folks need x4 effort to properly learn and assimilate. Especially when their brains have been wrapped with ethnic sentiments
@publisher you must be a basic foo'l not to know Nigerian economy is not business oriented. A 'capitalist' economy the gorvernment majorly controls and funds. What is Nigeria's economic index. That may be too big for your iq so lets leave it at this topic. Understand the facts here first before we delve into other issues. You are one of the people that adores mediocrity.
Many people dont know that in 18 yr old in the west is considered an adult in a ramifications. He can get a decent job an all but in Nigeria 35 yr olds are enjoying away in their fathers house. At any way you look at it 85% rate in Nigeria is true. Less than 32 million Nigerians are comfy period

Like many have said, the argument is not that Nigerians are not poor. Many Nigerians are poor just like you will find in other places in the world. Many Nigerians are suffering. I have have found myself in the middle of nowhere before with no money to even transport myself home. But the story of $2 a day is not correct. It is just people trying to be politically correct and using it to collect money from foreign donors. Nigeria is a gold mine. There are many Nigerians in the UK and Spain that beg on the streets. Many work in farms doing hard labour. I will never stay in europe because Nigeria is a land of opportunities. You cannot get the kind of opportunities in Nigeria anywhere else. An indian once talked with my friend and I and kept wondering why we travel abroad. He kept repeating that Nigeria was a gold mine.

Tell me which country in the world where you make money and pay crumbs as tax. I mean crumbs. Nigeria is the only place I know where you can make 800% profit on a business and smile to the bank. Whether it is private sector or government. anywhere you find a large population is always a gold mine. All the amenities people complain about is actually an opportunity for many people. The pure water business is an example of a business that started as a solution to a nagging problem. I am not saying it is easy but sometimes, it is important how you see problems. One mans problem is another man's opportunity

One other point some here have seem to miss is that the term porverty is a relative term. It has little to do with figures most times but more to do with the environment you live in. A banker can be a poor man. The last banking crisis did show that. Many of those bankers where almost back on the streets immediately they got laid off.

And just to add that the guy who said China had a lot of middle class doesnt have a clue. China is still one of the poorest countries in the world as far as GDP is concerned. In China, there are about 11 very developed cities. After that, the rest of the country is deep in porverty. I mean the kind of porverty that Nigerians cannot even condone.

edicolove:

And just to add that the guy who said China had a lot of middle class doesnt have a clue. China is still one of the poorest countries in the world as far as GDP is concerned. In China, there are about 11 very developed cities. After that, the rest of the country is deep in porverty. I mean the kind of porverty that Nigerians cannot even condone.

And how many cities are developed in Nigeria? How many cities can boast of inter-city rail-lines and over 12-hours of guaranteed daily power-supply? So, even with a few developed cities they are still better than us, because they can point at a few centres of excellence in their country.

@poster,
this is one of d post i have seen on NL, good one!!

ziga:

Mr. Oga,
Nobody is arguing that Poverty doesn't exist in Nigeria. And that seems to be where a lot of people get it wrong. The points that were raised were very simple. Poverty is a very complicated terminology with lots of definitions. The <$2/day figure is about relating levels of poverty in different countries to balance things out. And OP's points are that this is a flawed design, just like there is no perfect design.

But all the professors here can't even identify with that simple statement. haba!!!

It seems you might have some knowledge about statistics, and if i am correct, you know that not all statistical methods are appropriate.

Regardless of what method they have used, the fact remains that it is not a correct representation of the Nigerian situation.

If you have attended sessions where statistical figures have been discussed, you will know what i mean.

I don't know of any other way to explain the points that some people have raised so far!!!

His own design is also flawed. He is just apportioning figures as the spirit directs and expects us to believe. How is he sure of his claim that 20 million Nigerians work in the private sector? Another persons spirit may direct him to substitute 10 million. How is he sure that the said workers in the private sector earn up to N18,000? Does his figure of those working in the private sector include sales girls and Cyber cafe attendants paid less than N10,000 even in Lagos?

The fact remains that his estimates are flawed. He talks about 90 million lines, but how many of them are owned by individuals. For example I currently own six mobile lines (3 Glo, 1 MTN, 1 Etisalat, 1 Zain) and I have my eye on one more line before the end of the year. Does this figure of 90 million lines include my six lines or am I represented once in that stat.

Is he aware that some businesses buy phone lines (Including BlackBerry phones) for their staff? How many of these phone lines and blackberries are accounted for in his stat?

So, the UN stat may not be correct, but he has not provided a compelling alternative, at least not enough to put him in line for a Nobel Prize. He is just throwing figures as the spirit directs just to make his point.

I think I should correct myself @ this point. Just got stats (again from Wikipedia) that says only 45% of Nigerians live below poverty line.

This is so much more like it.

But my questions remain if I can feed, house myself and go to work and back for $2/day am I poor? How is this poverty line calculated and is it adjusted to suit the Nigerian environment or is it the same metric used for all countries alike?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Nigeria

This link also states that unemployment is actually ~4.7% based on 2007 estimates.

What do guys think?

Absolute Poverty

David Gordon's paper, "Indicators of Poverty & Hunger",
for the United Nations, further defines absolute poverty as
the absence of any two of the following eight basic needs:

Food: Body Mass Index must be above 16.
Safe drinking water: Water must not come from solely
rivers and ponds, and must be available nearby (less
than 15 minutes' walk each way).
Sanitation facilities: Toilets or latrines must be
accessible in or near the home.
Health: Treatment must be received for serious
illnesses and pregnancy.
Shelter: Homes must have fewer than four people living
in each room. Floors must not be made of dirt, mud, or
clay.
Education: Everyone must attend school or otherwise
learn to read.
Information: Everyone must have access to
newspapers, radios, televisions, computers, or
telephones at home.
Access to services: This item is undefined by Gordon,
but normally is used to indicate the complete panoply
of education, health, legal, social, and financial ( credit)
services.

For example, a person who lives in a home with a mud
floor is considered severely deprived of shelter. A person
who never attended school and cannot read is considered
severely deprived of education. A person who has no
newspaper, radio, television, or telephone is considered
severely deprived of information. All people who meet any
two of these conditions — for example, they live in homes
with mud floors and cannot read — are considered to be
living in absolute poverty.

Relative Poverty

A measure of relative poverty defines "poverty" as being
below some relative poverty threshold. For example, the
statement that "households with an accumulated income
less than 60% of the median equivalized household
disposable income are living in poverty" uses a relative
measure to define poverty. In this system, if everyone's
real income in an economy increases, but the income
distribution stays the same, then the rate of relative
poverty will also stay the same.
Relative poverty measurements can sometimes produce
odd results, especially in small populations. For example, if
the median household in a wealthy neighborhood earns US
$1 million each year, then a family that earns US$100,000
would be considered poor on the relative poverty scale,
even though such a family could meet all of its basic needs
and much more. At the other end of the scale, if the
median household in a very poor neighborhood earned
only 50% of what it needs to buy food, then a person who
earned the median income would not be considered poor
on a relative poverty scale, even though the person is
clearly poor on an absolute poverty scale.
Measures of relative poverty are almost the same as
measuring income inequality: If a society gets a more
equal income distribution, relative poverty will fall.
Following this, some argue[who?] that the term relative
poverty is itself misleading and that income inequality
should be used instead.[citation needed] They point out
that if society changed in a way that hurt high earners
more than low ones, then relative poverty would
decrease, but every citizen of the society would be worse
off. Likewise in the reverse direction: it is possible to
reduce absolute poverty while increasing relative poverty.
The term relative poverty can also be used in a different
sense to mean "moderate poverty" –- for example, a
standard of living or level of income that is high enough to
satisfy basic needs (like water, food, clothing, shelter, and
basic health care), but still significantly lower than that of
the majority of the population under
consideration

This is what we should do in Nigeria. Create separate poverty lines for urban and rural dwellers. India already does it.

India's official poverty level, on the other hand, is split
according to rural vs. urban thresholds. For urban
dwellers, the poverty line is defined as living on less than
538.60 rupees (approximately USD $12) per month,
whereas for rural dwellers, it is defined as living on less
than 356.35 rupees per month (approximately USD $7.50).
[15] By this measure, only 27.5% of Indians live in
poverty,[citation needed] whereas by the World Bank
standard of $1.25 per day, 42% of Indians live in
poverty[citation needed] – this is the third highest rate in
South Asia after Bangladesh and Bhutan.