Why Every Country Needs Its Own Poverty Metrics: Lessons from Ijebu Jesa

I’ve lived in Ijebu Jesa since 2022 and spend less than $800 a year. I don’t earn income currently and rely on my sisters for support while awaiting resolution of a decades-long dispute. Despite my low income, I have running water, electricity, decent food, internet, solid housing and clothing. My neighbours share a similar situation: a former headmaster with a car and university-going children, a trader’s family, a small rental estate, even retired civil servants who all live comfortably. Looking around, I see no one matching the UN’s idea of ‘poor’. Nations are grouped by income levels, but these global metrics miss local context. Countries should develop their own poverty standards—factoring in utilities, education and HDI—just as China has done. A low HDI doesn’t always mean someone is poor.

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