In spite of the global economic headwinds ravaging Nigeria, Imo State has emerged as the state with the second-lowest poverty rate in the country in 2025.
Owing largely to the regular payment of salaries and pensions by the Hope Uzodimma administration, with the attendant liquidity and cash flow, the state’s economy has been able to withstand the shock of hardship and its resultant poverty.
In a nationwide survey on the performance of the 36 states and Abuja in the management of poverty, Imo recorded the second-lowest poverty rate in Nigeria.
The results of the survey, conducted by StatiSense, a globally recognised institution, showed that Imo came second with 0.3%, behind only Lagos State, which posted 0.2%.
Notably, the 12 states that posted the lowest poverty rates, between 0.2% and 3.5%, are all from the southern part of the country, with the exception of Abuja.
All five South-East states were among the 12, with Imo recording the lowest poverty rate in the zone, followed by Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Abia, which brought up the rear at 3.4%.
Among the South-West states, Lagos recorded the lowest rate, followed by Osun and Ekiti with 1.6% and 3.5%, respectively.
In the South-South, Rivers State came first with 1.6%, Edo second with 1.7%, and Delta third with 3.1%.
Although StatiSense did not provide a detailed explanation of the indices used in arriving at these statistics, the performance of the states offers a useful indication of the quality of financial management by their respective administrations.
