A claim that Kogi is the poorest state in Nigeria has surfaced on X.
The claim was posted by a user on the app @BolanleCole.
The post read:
“The poorest State in Nigeria today aside Kogi State is Kogi State. In the league of thriving States in Nigeria, Kogi State should not be included.”
Recently, there have been a public attention on Kogi state as a former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, is currently being charged with corruption by the EFCC, one of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies.
READ: Viral video showing Yahaya Bello inside car is NOT recent
Due to the nature of the claim relating to the state’s economy, The FactCheckHub decided to verify its accuracy.
CLAIM
Kogi state is the poorest state in Nigeria.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
The survey of the 2022 Multi-dimensional Poverty Index in Nigeria carried out by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the multidimensional poverty across Nigerian states ranges from a low of 27% in Ondo to a high of 91% in Sokoto.
A look at the data from the report show that Kogi state ranks 17th on the list.
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A report by Nairametrics, which also referenced data from the NBS, revealed that Sokoto, Bayelsa, and Jigawa States rank highest on Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty index, with a combined total of 14.18 million people living in poverty.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Kogi state is the poorest state in Nigeria is FALSE; data show that Sokoto, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Kebbi, Gombe and Yobe are the poorest states in Nigeria.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
