BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Despite
its plenty resources and oil wealth, poverty is widespread in Nigeria the
situation had worsened in the late 90’s, to the extent that the country has
been considered one of the poorest countries in the world. Over 70 percent of
the population is classified as poor, with 35 percent living in absolute
poverty. The description of Nigeria
as a paradox by the World Bank (1996) has continued to be confirmed by events
and official statistics in the country. The paradox is that the poverty level
in Nigeria
contracts the country’s immense wealth. Among other things, the country is enormously
endowed with human, agricultural, petroleum, gas and large untapped solid
mineral resources.
Particularly
worrisome is the fact that the country earned over US $ 30 billion from one
resource – petroleum – during the last decades of the 20th century.
But rather than record remarkable progress in the national socio-economic
development, Nigeria
retrogressed to become one of the 25 poorest countries at the threshold of the
21st century whereas, she was among the richest 50 in the
early
1970’s.
Official
statistics show that in 1980, the national (average) poverty incidence was
28.1% of the population. The distribution of the poverty incidence across the
states of the federation showed a maximum of 49.5% recorded for Plateau State (and Nasarawa which was excised
from Plateau). This meant that every state had a poverty incidence below 50%.
By 1985 the national (average) poverty incidence has risen to 46.3% with the
maximum of 68.9% recorded in Bauchi
State (and Gombe which
was carved out of Bauchi). As at 1996 the national (avage) stood at 65.5% with
Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara (all in old Sokoto State)
recording the highest incidence of 83.6%. As at 2000, the incidence of poverty
was believed to have risen to 70% at the national level- Alarming!
However,
the irony of poverty in the midst of immense wealth in Nigeria leaves
a question as to what poverty really is. From the Nigerian paradox, it is
decibel that poverty is associated with retarded economic development and low
standard of living, even if economic growth is evident. This is true of Nigeria because
economic growth in the country is usually, tantamount to more wealth in the
hands of few.
How then can poverty be defined?
Poverty
has narrow and broad definitions, partly because it is a physical matter, and
partly because poverty is relative. It
is physical because one can note its effects on those afflicted by it. And it
is relative because a poor person in one country may not be perceived as such
in another country. However, the poor are those who cannot afford decent food,
medical care, recreation, decent shelter and clothe; meet family and community
obligations, and other necessities of life. With this, it is not surprising
that poverty is regarded as a form of oppression (UNDP Conference Report, 15-17
march, 2001). And people are “poverty-stricken when their income, even if
adequate for survival, falls markedly behind” the average obtainable in their
immediate community (Galbraith, 1955).
The
Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary depicts poverty as the condition or
quality of being poor, indigence, and lack of means of substance. It is also
deficiency in necessary properties or desirable qualities, or in a specific
quality, etc. and the Journal of poverty notes that poverty measures more than
being impoverished and more than lacking financial means. It is “an overall
condition of inadequacy, lacking and scarcity, and destitution and deficiency
of economic, political, and social resources.” This is a broader perspective of
poverty, which reflects its true dimensions. Therefore, people are living in
poverty, “if their income and resources (Material, cultural and social) are so
inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living which is
regarded as acceptable by their society generally (Ireland: NAPS, 1997).
Because of the effects of here underdevelopment and corruption, the poor are
found both in rural and urban setting in Nigeria, with different categories
of poverty.
Poverty
is multi-dimensional. It is characterized by lack of purchasing power, exposure
to risk, malnutrition, high mortality rate, low life expectancy, insufficient
access to social and economic services, etc.
Poverty
is a social problem in which a country is face with cultural, social,
political, economic and environmental deprivations. In other words, it is a
state of involuntary deprivation to which a person, household, community or
nation can be subjected. In recent times, scholars have pointed out that there
are reinforcing vicious circles that keep families, regions and countries poor
and unable to contribute to national growth (Perry, et al 2006; Okoye and
Onyukwu, 2007). In developing countries, poverty level has been on the
increase. In Nigeria,
for example, the situation has worsened since the late 1990s and can be best
described as “inflammable”.
Poverty
is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able
to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to
read. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water.
Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom. Poverty is a call
to action – for the poor and the wealthy alike-c call to change the world so
that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education
and health, protection from violence, and a voce in what happens in their
communities.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Despite
the plethora of poverty alleviation programmes (PAP’s) which past governments
has initiated and implemented, by 1999 when Obasanjo administration came to
power, a world Bank’s report indicated that Nigeria’s Human Development Index
(HDI) was only 0.416 and that about 70% of the population was vegetating below
the breadline. In other words, it is not just enough to set up PAPs. The
confusion in nigeira, seems to be on how to actually target the poor.
The
trend in Nigeria
is that the proportion of the poor people in the total population of Nigeria has
expanded in recent years. This forms a critical issue of this research to give
a problem definition of the poverty profile Nigeria and the impact which
poverty alleviation programmes at different levels have on the generality of
the economy.
It
is a great relief that the federal government budget since 2000 has it s major
thrust, on poverty alleviation. Measurement of poverty has a great role to play
in the pursuit of success for the PAPs,. Of course, measurement of poverty
seems to answer two related questions: how many Nigerians are poor? And how
poor are they? The first question seeks to know the number or percentage of Nigerian
that are poor. The second question is concerned with the measurement of the depth
or incidence of poverty using calculated and estimated poverty line as standard
of measurement.
Again,
with regards to the effectiveness of the PAPs so far, there are some questions
to answer: Are there observed positive changes in the economic welfare of Nigerians
as a result of these PAPs? How eely distributed are the impacts of PAPs among
groups and across the population in Nigeria? This study aims at
providing answer to these questions.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This
research work aims at finding out the level of poverty in Nigeria and its
effects on the populace. This work also examines the indicators of poverty in
the nation. But most importantly, it is the objective of this research work to
study various, poverty alleviation programs in Nigeria in the current republic
which began in 1999, examining their roles in poverty reduction and the extent
to which they have met their gals and targets.
To
effectively achieve this, it is imperative, to review and evaluate the
efficiency and effectiveness of these PAPs in the business of reducing poverty,
indicating whether/how the people directly or indirectly felt their impact.
Thus, this work has to elucidate the contributions of these PAPs to economic
growth and development, infrastructural development, and social welfare
services in the economy. As a result of these objectives, this works will stand
good chances to proffer solutions that will be instrumental to poverty
alleviation in Nigeria.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
This
topic was carefully chosen because of the high incidence of poverty in Nigeria, as it
is the major problem faced by Nigeria
as a country and the individuals in it. The need to evaluate the impact of PAPs
is to determine whether the living standards of greater majority of the population
have improved, deteriorate is stagnant in the face of these PAPs.
This study aims
at appraising the impact of the various PAPs in the current republic (which
began in 1999), with a view to fine-turning them or suggesting complementary
measures if they have not provided the need impetus for economic development
and macroeconomic stability in Nigeria.
Indicators of macro-economic stability are improvement in the quality of life
of the entire citizenry, export expansion, and a friendlier environment for
foreign investment and productivity.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
scope of this study covers 1999-2009. The choice of this period is to assess
the impact of the poverty alleviation programmes in Nigeria in the current republic.
This assessment is done with respect to some areas such as education, health,
employment, provision of basic infrastructure, and social standard of the
populace using poverty line and variation in the Human development Index (HDI).
1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
One
constraint is that statistical date, especially those on finding allocation are
either not available or given as Approximation Agency there are difficulties
posed in the technicalities and non-comprehensiveness of some official date
used in the study.
Another
limitation was inadequate fund. There was insufficient fund to ensure that all
data relating to the topic were analyzed. This also made traveling to other
areas impossible for comparative information.
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