July 29, 2026 | Abuja
A new World Bank technical report released this week says 139 million Nigerians are now classified as poor or vulnerable to poverty. The report links the rise to the ongoing war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered a global fuel shock and pushed up prices of petrol, food, fertilizer and transport across Nigeria.
According to the report, fuel pump prices jumped from ₦800 per litre in February to ₦1,400 per litre in April. The increase has forced many households to cut spending on food and health, with the hardest impact felt in the North-West and North-East.
In Sokoto, health workers say they are seeing more children returning to hospitals with malnutrition. At one hospital, records show nearly 40 children previously treated for malnutrition since February are currently under treatment again. “I am worried and sometimes angry about the increasing numbers we are seeing,” said health worker Halimah Muhammad.
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF also warned this week that if the Middle East conflict continues, up to 23.4 million more children globally could fall into monetary poverty by the end of the year, with at least 80% in Africa and Asia. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said children far beyond the region are paying the price for the escalating conflict and that the longer it continues, the worse the consequences will be.
Economists say urgent social protection and targeted support for food and health will be needed to prevent more households from slipping deeper into poverty in the coming months.
