Nigeria in 2050: major player in the global economy or poverty capital?

The country is far from reaching its SDGs by 2030, but hardline policy interventions could deliver development.

Nigeria’s potential to be a major player in the global economy due to its human and natural resource endowments remains unfulfilled, and the country has been declared the ‘poverty capital’ of the world. Using the International Futures model, this report presents Nigeria’s existing state of development and its likely pathway to 2050. It then simulates ambitious but realistic policy interventions across different sectors that could propel Nigeria to prosperity.

About the authors

Kouassi Yeboua is a Senior Researcher in the African Futures and Innovation programme at the ISS. He recently served as lead author on ISS studies on the long-term development prospects of the DR Congo and Horn of Africa countries. 

Jakkie Cilliers is the founder of the ISS, chairperson of the ISS Board of Trustees and currently heads the ISS African Futures and Innovation programme in Pretoria. He stepped down as executive director in 2015.

Alize le Roux is a Senior Researcher in the ISS African Futures and Innovation programme. Before joining the ISS, she worked as a principal geo-informatics researcher at the CSIR in South Africa, where she supported local and national policy and decision makers with long-term planning.

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