While Nigeria has high growth potential, immense poverty exists in neglected areas. However, organizations like the Rural Poverty Reduction and Empowerment Initiative (RPREI) are doing great work. They are empowering local communities to identify, plan and manage microsocial infrastructure projects, such as school repairs, water supplies and clinic repairs, giving them control over funds to prevent corruption.

Poverty in Nigeria

According to a World Bank report, as of 2025, 75.5% of Nigeria’s rural population was living below the poverty line. This is in comparison to just 41.3% of the urban population in the country. These numbers have increased dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are expected to continue rising, given the current situation.

There is a clear inequity in the country’s economy, leaving many areas ignored by certain initiatives and programs. Confounding factors, such as limited access to education in some rural areas, also contribute to inequality. As a result, many organizations have emerged to specifically support Nigeria’s rural communities.

The RPREI

The RPREI is a nongovernmental, apolitical organization that works to reduce rural poverty in Nigeria. It aids impoverished communities and, overall, sustains safe and healthy lives for Nigerians. The nonprofit addresses these issues through a variety of initiatives. 

These include empowering Nigeria’s rural communities, promoting climate-smart agriculture, providing clean water, preventing HIV/AIDS, providing relief after natural disasters, supporting women and children and building communities. Over the past 15 years, the RPREI has worked on six projects across 10 local government areas. By working with the youth to create long-lasting projects, its mission continues to grow. 

It has also ensured equality among its programs, prioritizing women and farmers. It is through these actions that the initiative gets closer to its goal of breaking the cycle of rural poverty in Nigeria. It hopes to help in creating strong communities that continue to thrive.

ActionAid Nigeria

Originally established in 1999, ActionAid Nigeria is also a nonprofit that is a part of the greater ActionAid International Federation. Its work focuses on eliminating oppression and poverty in Nigeria and achieving justice. It works directly with communities experiencing poverty and prejudice to do so. 

ActionAid Nigeria aims to empower communities to make a larger-scale impact. By starting local movements across the country and supporting existing campaigns, its advocacy work is more likely to be recognized by the government and the private sector. ActionAid Nigeria is working to bring about sustainable change for rural populations across Nigeria.

One initiative it helped start is the Local Rights Program (LRP), founded in 2005. It funded the program to improve the quality of life for women and children in rural areas through local policy.

Lutheran World Relief

While it began operations in Europe in 1945, Lutheran World Relief now helps impoverished communities across the globe, including those in Nigeria. The organization has established a significant presence in Nigeria, focusing on agricultural development and strengthening smallholder farmers, particularly in cocoa-producing communities. Its work in Nigeria specifically aims to increase rural incomes and build agricultural resilience. 

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food for Progress Program and others, Lutheran World Relief is helping to implement the Traceability and Resilience in Agriculture and Cocoa Ecosystems of Nigeria (TRACE) project. TRACE is a five-year program, running from 2022 to 2027, that increases cocoa productivity in the country through climate-smart agriculture and supports Nigeria’s cocoa in the market. It has been implemented in many of the country’s cocoa-producing states. 

The project aims to train 51,000 smallholder farmers and provide 68,400 farmers with access to larger markets. By working with smaller farms in rural communities and connecting them to the broader market, Lutheran World Relief is strengthening these communities’ economies and reducing poverty across Nigeria.

Final Remarks

Even though poverty rates in Nigeria continue to rise, the RPREI, ActionAid Nigeria and Lutheran World Relief remain steadfast in their missions. As long as poverty persists in the country, organizations like these will continue to work hard to support citizens in rural areas.

– Megan McGrath

Megan is based in Verona, NJ, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr