Poverty and inequality in Nigeria are widespread.  Despite being the largest exporter of
oil in Africa, Nigeria is one of the poorest countries in the world with income per capita less than
US$500.  One out of every five Nigerian children dies before his or her fifth birthday, while one
out of every three is malnourished.  Only 64 per cent of school age boys attend primary school
and only 57 per cent of girls.  There are large income and geographic differences in both health
and education outcomes, with the North consistently faring worse than the South.  These
outcomes, however, vary greatly across socioeconomic levels.  The child mortality rate among
children in the poorest 20 per cent of the population is three times as high as the rate among
children in the wealthiest 20 per cent.