A Simple Poverty Scorecard for Nigeria

This study uses the 2003 Nigeria Living Standards Survey to construct an easy-to-use scorecard that estimates the likelihood that a household in Nigeria has expenditure below a given poverty line. The scorecard uses 10 simple indicators that field workers can quickly collect and verify. Poverty scores can be computed on paper in the field in about five minutes. The scorecard's accuracy and precision are reported for a range of poverty lines. The poverty scorecard is a practical way for pro-poor programs in Nigeria to monitor poverty rates, track changes in poverty rates over time, and target services. [Author's abstract]