Lagos, Nigeria – August 27, 2025
The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has stated that 56 percent of Nigerians are currently living below the poverty line, citing worsening economic conditions across the country.
Osifo made the claim on Wednesday at the Lagos State Council’s 1st Quadrennial Delegates Conference, where he warned that widespread hardship and systemic failures were threatening the welfare of millions of citizens.
Independent data, however, provides a more nuanced picture. According to the World Bank, 47 percent of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line in 2023, up from 40 percent in 2018. The institution further projected that poverty levels could rise to 56 percent by 2027 if current economic trends persist.
Analysts note that while the TUC President’s figure aligns with World Bank projections, it has not been independently verified as the present reality. The most recent confirmed figure remains 47 percent.
The statement underscores growing concern among labor leaders and policy experts over Nigeria’s deepening economic crisis, which continues to drive inflation, unemployment, and reduced living standards.