5.0 SUMMARY OF
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 SUMMARY
Poverty
alleviation in Nigeria consists of series of purposive act and measures
designed nationally and internationally or at other levels to address the
poverty problem. Initial efforts at alleviating poverty centered on the
provision of basic needs by the government. It focuses on meeting the basic
requirements for a permanent reduction of poverty through the provision of
basic needs as health service, education, water supply, food, minimum nutrition
requirements and housing among others. However, it was later realized that
poverty alleviation is best addressed based on the peculiarities of the
situation under consideration. For instance, some schools felt that poverty in
many developing countries arises from structural impediment to growth of the
economy leading to low growth rate.
Emphasis in such
cases should therefore be on removing the imaginary structural bottlenecks to
growth and adopting growth strategies that benefit the poor. Furthermore, poverty
alleviation efforts must be focused and targeted at the poor and posses some
desired features that would enable them address the need of the poor. Among
such desired features is that they must be demand driven and formulated
bottom-up with the poor as active stakeholders in the decision making process.
Such efforts must thus be properly designed to empower the poor.
In line with money
notion of equality, development and poverty alleviation, many analysis and
policy makers in Nigeria have sited development programmes. Such programmes
include Rural Electrification, Schools, Rural Banking Schemes, Universal Basis
Education, Adult Education Scheme, low Cost Housing Scheme, etc.
The result of our
findings show that the poverty alleviation programmes adopted so far by the
government and non-governmental organizations are achieving its objectives.
This is indicated by the significance of the X2 test.
The concern over
poverty and the need for its alleviation as a means of improving the standard
of living especially of the rural people led to the establishment of various
institutions and programmes, poverty alleviation being a broad specimen
activity, therefore, cover the following sectors. Agriculture, Health,
Education, Water Resources, Transport, Housing, Finance, Employment Generation,
Rural and Urban Development etc. The institutions of poverty include National
Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), National Primary Health Care
Scheme, National Agencies for Mass Literacy, The Family Economic Advancement
Programmes etc. the efforts of these agencies on breaking the vicious circle of
poverty nationally or most especially in the rural sectors have not yielded the
desire result of alleviating poverty in Nigeria since the issues is not only
economic but also social and political but that does not mean that no
meaningful progress have been made. As a matter of fact, a lot of achievement
have been recorded through these programmes, schemes and activities of the
federal government, non-governmental organization etc in their course to
alleviate poverty.
Nevertheless,
there is a lot of room for improvement through economic empowerment for the
benefit of all especially with regards to women in view of the following:
i. The number of
female university graduates is on the increase.
ii. More women now
enter non-traditional fields such as medicine, law, engineering and sciences
etc.
iii. Women’s
participation in politics has been on the increase globally and
iv. In this
information age, public awareness about women’s issue has intensified to such
extent that in future they will be viewed as economic issues, family issues,
ethnical issues of equal resonance to men and women.
A combination of
policies and programmes, some of which are through collaborative efforts has
been vigorously pursued in Nigeria. The objective of international assistance
is to supplement indigenous efforts in proving much needed for poverty
Alleviation in spite the rapidly growing population and poor economic
performance which have tended to accentuate poverty. International agencies and
institutions which have been assisting the country in different aspects of the
poverty issue include the World Bank, United Nation Development Programmes (UNDP),
United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) etc. one of the major programmes on
Agriculture in Nigeria is the World Bank Assisted Agricultural Development
Projects (ADPS). The project seeks to increase food production and thus,
improve the standard of living and welfare of the farming population.
An examination of
certain indicators of performance indicate that the domestic and international
poverty reduction measures have to some extent, been helpful in addressing the
problems of poverty.
The various
domestic programmes have in general, imparted positively on the living
conditions of the poor. However, their tempo of activities which was high at
inception has been on the decline for instance, more cottage industries were
established at lower costs in the earlier years of the Better Life/Family
Support Programme than in more recent years.
5.2 CONCLUSION
One may tend to
ask if all the efforts put in place in the past achieved very little, where do
we go from here; generally, the ever-riding objective of poverty alleviation is
to ensure that every Nigerian irrespective of gender, profession and
geographical location is empowered so as to be able to fend for him/ herself
the basic needs of life. These include food, portable water, good sanitation,
clothing, shelter, basic health services and nutrition others are basic
education, communication facilities and guarantee respect for fundamental human
rights as a means of improving the vulnerability of the poor.
Poverty is rampant
in Nigeria and its incidence has been on the increase. This course has been
found to have more biting effect in rural areas where the bulk of Nigerian
population lives. It has also been found to be more pronounced among the
genders owning to the fact that various attempts at its alleviation have been
noted to yield varying success, albeit, rather in a limited sense. The
continued fashioning and implementation of policies and programmes aimed at
empowering the population through health care, education and improved access to
portable water etc. is seen as a potent means of reducing the phenomenon of
poverty.
5.3 RECOMMENDATION
i. The government
should involve a policy for the achievement of a broad base and diversified
economy that can absorb the millions of unemployed citizens.
ii. Attainment of
basic education for all irrespective of location, sex, religion or tribe.
iii. Improvement
in the quality of life via enhanced national basic infrastructure, such as
roads, electricity, safe drinking water and sanitation, communication,
transportation etc.
iv. The government
should create access to credit facilities, productive resources and employment
opportunities for all. The current effort by the government towards encouraging
the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is a policy in the right direction.
v. The government
should check the activities of corrupt officials in the implementation of
poverty alleviation programmes. They should ensure increased monitoring and
supervision, as well as ensure that the corrupt officials acts are brought to
book accordingly.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abel Smith
B and Townsend (1965), The poor and the poorest Bell London
Aboyade
B.O. (1982), The provision of information for rural development, fountain
publications, Ibadan.
Aluko,
S.A. (1975), “Poverty: Its remedies”. Poverty in Nigeria, proceedings of the
Nigeria Economics Society Ibadan
Ahluwalia
M.S.N. Carter and Chenery (1997), “Growth and poverty in developing countries”
Journal of Development Economics
Akeredolu,
Ale (1975), “Poverty as a social issue”. A theoretical note of poverty in
Nigeria.
Anyanwu
J.C. (1979) “Poverty in Nigeria; concepts measurement and determinants selected
papers for the 1979 Annual Conference on poverty alleviation in Nigeria,
Nigeria Economics Society 1997.
Atoloye
A.S.F. (1997), “Strategy for growth and poverty alleviation in Nigeria”. CBN
Economic and Financial Review Volume 35 No.3, P.2-31.
Addison D.
(1997), Nigeria Poverty Assessment in CBN/World Bank Collaborative Development
P.20-40.
Agris P.A.
Awoseyila (1999), “The Dimension of poverty in Nigeria”. Bullion Volume 23 No.4
P.31-35
Akeredodu
(1976), “Inflation, Poverty and Development”. Journal of Development Economics,
Volume 3, No. `4, P. 30-31.
Amadi, O.
(1994), “Poverty in Nigeria: Concepts and Measurement” Selected paper from the
Annual Conference on Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria, Nigeria Economic Society
1997.
Angaye
(1996), Poverty amid plenty in Nigeria”. Rivers Journal of the Social Sciences
Volume 2, No. 1 and 2, P. 54-57.
Afoloye W.
(1987), “Strategy for Growth led Poverty alleviation in Nigeria”. Central bank
of Nigeria Economic and Financial review, Volume 35, No. 3, P. 298-314.
Blank,
R.M. (1998), “Why were poverty rates so high in the 1980’s? Poverty and
prosperity in the U.S.A., Europe and Africa in the late twentieth century, New
York St. Martin Press Inc. P.21-55
Blinder
and Esaka (1986), Macroeconomics activities and income distribution in post war
United States Review of Economic Statistics Volume 6, No. 4 (Nov.) P. 60-69.
Critler
and Katz (1991), Macroeconomics performance and the disadvantaged. Brooking
paper on Economic Activity Volume 2, P. 161.
Englama A.
and Bamidele A. (1997), Measurement issues in poverty CBN Economic and
Financial Review Volume 3, P. 6-15.
Eloho O.S.
(1999), “Poverty Alleviation Efforts in Nigeria”. The Journal so far, (to be
published in NPC News later in 1999).
Erone K.
K. (1998), “Theoretical issues in poverty under-developing”. Rivers Journal of
Social Sciences. Volume 2 Nos. 1 and 2, P. 101-106.
Eyong M.
O. (1998), “Inflation, Unemployment and Poverty Alleviation in Developing
Economy. The Nigeria experience. Paper presented at the University of Calabar
in General Conference of CRS Economic Annual Meeting, Calabar May 19.
Fields
(1990), Poverty Inequality and Development, Cambridge University Press.
Fuloso O.
(1999), “The role of Agencies in Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria (Bilateral,
Multilateral, NGOs, etc) Bullion Volume 23, No. 4, P. 66-68 October/December.
Gary K.
(1996), “Income Distribution and Economic growth” in Gustaw Ranis and Paul
Schultz etc. the State of Development Economics, Progress and Prosperities.
Chapter 15, P. 40-48.
Iboronke
Revallion (1999), “How robust is a poverty profile?” The World Bank Economic
Review, January. P. 11-13.
Kabuin P.
(1996), “Efficiency, Equity, and Poverty Alleviation Issues in Less Developed
Countries”. The Economic Journal Volume 106, Nos.438, September P. 1344-1356.
Lewis, W.
A. (1998), “Theoretical Framework on Poverty and its Remedies”. Lagos page
publishers services Ltd.
Macon T.
(1995): “Income Inequality, Poverty and Macro economic Conditions”. Paper
presented at the American Economy Association Meeting, Washington D.C. January
7.
Nbam P.,
“Poverty Alleviation in Developing Nations”. Paper presented at the United
Nations Millennium Summit held 6th. - 8th. September 2000 in New York.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Please tick () or
comment where applicable.
1. Is the poverty
alleviation programmes achieving its objectives?
(a) Yes (b) No
2. What are the
problem militating against the poverty alleviation programmes?
(a) Poor funding
(b) Corruption
(c) Lack of follow
3. Has the poverty
alleviation programmes has any effect on your economic life?
(a) Yes (b) No
4. Has the poverty
alleviation programmes able to increase the level of rural development?
(a) Yes (b) No
5. Are you
informed of the poverty programmes of the Federal Government?
(a) Yes (b) No
6. What are the
various poverty alleviation programmes you know?
7. What is your
occupation?
(a) Business
(b) Fore man
(c) None of the
above
8. Is poverty
alleviation programmes changing the lives of the poor masses?
(a) Yes (b) No
9. Please comment
generally on the alleviation programmes. 10. What are your
recommendations for the third world nations?