There is no generally acceptable definition of
poverty. Aluro (1995) refers to poverty as a lack of command over basic consumption
needs which means, in other words, that there is an inadequate level of
consumption giving rise to insufficient food, clothing and or shelter and
moreover the lack of certain capacities, such as being able to participate with
dignity in society. Poverty has been defined as the
inability to attain a minimum standard of living (World Bank Report, 1990) the
report constructed two indices based on a minimum level of consumption in order
to show the practical aspect of the concept. While the first index was a
country with a specific poverty line, the second was global allowing cross
country comparison (Walton, 1990). The United Nations has introduced the use of
such other indices as life expectancy, infant mortality rate, primary school
enrollment ration and number of persons per physician.
What is most important to deduced
from these definitions is that poverty must be conceived, defined and measured
in absolute quantitative ways that are relevant and valid for analysis and
policy making in that given time and space.
In Nigeria, the prevalence of
poverty is duely recognized and even mentioned in various National development
plans (1975, 1980) concern for poverty scrooge received a further boost during
the 1975 annual conference of the Nigeria economic (NES) and during the 1997
annual conference was devoted entirely to sensitizing the nation to the poverty
menace view, that poverty existed when incomes or disposable resources were
inadequate to support a minimum standard of decent living, more importantly
urban poverty was well enlightened. While the 1997 annual conference of NES,
was devoted to impact of structural adjustment programme (SAP) on poverty in
Nigeria and different methods of accrediting poverty in Nigeria.
Under the principle of basic needs,
Steward (1985) did a comprehensive study on Nigeria poverty she alludes to the
fact that there is substantial under-repotting in basic indicators especially
in child mortality, disease and morbidity. She also stated that there is
positive urban bias in government expenditure for basic services significantly
inadequate income to meet basic food needs. It allows basic services.
The issue of conceptualizing poverty
with a basic needs framework, specifying these need and setting minimum level
for them within Nigerian context, has been the focus of studies by Ogwumike
(1987, 1991) and Ogwunike and Odubogun (1987). These studies generally defined
poverty as a household utility to provide sufficient income to satisfy its
needs for food, shelter, education, clothing and transportation.