In a statement on Wednesday, Presidential media aide Sunday Dare said the report ignored Nigeria’s economic context and relied on outdated data models that do not reflect current realities.

“While we respect the World Bank’s analytical work, these figures are purely theoretical and not a real-time measure of poverty in Nigeria,” Dare said on X.

According to the government, the global lender’s calculations were based on the $2.15 per day global poverty line, which—when adjusted for Nigeria’s current exchange rate—translates to roughly ₦100,000 per month, far above the country’s ₦70,000 minimum wage.

Officials argued that such conversions distort living standards in developing economies and fail to account for Nigeria’s vast informal sector.

The Presidency insisted that the administration’s focus was on reforms and social protection, not statistical debates, highlighting programmes such as conditional cash transfers, ward development projects, and credit schemes for small businesses and farmers.

Dare said Nigeria was on “a path of economic recovery and inclusive reform,” citing progress in agriculture, energy, and social welfare as evidence that the government was “tackling the root causes of poverty, not its symptoms.”

Earlier, the World Bank had warned that poverty levels were deepening despite macroeconomic improvements, noting that inflation and weak purchasing power had left millions struggling.

Opposition figures and labour unions, however, said the government’s rejection of the report would not change the reality of rising hardship across the country.

“You don’t need the World Bank to know people are suffering,” said Chris Onyeka, assistant general secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Economists maintain that Nigeria’s current reforms—though necessary—have temporarily worsened living conditions, urging the government to pair structural changes with targeted relief measures.