POVERTY ALLEVIATION MEASURES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF LIFE-ENHANCEMENT AGENCY IN AKWA IBOM STATE)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Poverty is a major problem that has robed many citizens of better lives. It is a major economic problem to the Nigerian economy.
That is why even government that has existed in Nigerian has attempted to reduce poverty to the lowest level. Poverty is a living condition in which an entity is faced with economic social, cultural, political and environmental deprivation. Marsh (2001) explain that poverty is a state of involuntary deprivation in which a person household, community or a nation can be subjected. The issue of poverty alleviation is now a major policy, therefore the introduction of poverty alleviation programme in the Obasanjo administration, which was to fight the scourge of poverty especially at grassroot level was timely and rightly commodable.
Also economic development has been a feature of government programme in Nigeria since independence in 1960 Maxwell (1994) explains that the purposes of development is to improved the standard of living and ensure the general well being of the society. Therefore, poverty alleviation and economic development is an explicit means by which government can raise the standard of living.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Poverty alleviation and economic development work hand in hand, without alleviation of poverty there will largely be development.
A nation cannot fight poverty when the economy of that nation is poor. One of the problems of poverty alleviation in the development of Nigeria is lack of adequate internal motivation to fight poverty at the right time and place.
The following factors affects Nigeria achievement on poverty alleviation and economic development:
- inadequate capital
- Inadequate infrastructure facilities
- Low level of technological development
- Embezzlement of fund that are directed to the programme
- Illiteracy
Interestingly, poverty alleviation problems are also associated with economic development problem, therefore, for Nigeria government to solve the problem of poverty, they have to built the economy. It has therefore the intention of this research to x-ray the necessary ingredients needed to build the Nigerian economy where poverty eradication measures will thrive, which though has been looking for some time now.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Poverty alleviation and economic development is an explicit means by which government can raise the standard of living of the citizen therefore, the aims and objectives of this research project is to find out poverty alleviation measures, its problem and prospects for economic development in Akwa Ibom State.
- Assess the impact of poverty alleviation programme in the State.
- To identify the impact of the programme on rural dwellers in Akwa Ibom State
- To examine the problems of poverty alleviation in Akwa Ibom State.
- To examine the prospects of poverty alleviation in Akwa Ibom State
- To suggest how poverty programme can be effectively implemented.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- What are the impacts of poverty alleviation programme to the growth of the Nigeria economy?
- What should government do to ensure that this programme is effectively implemented?
- What are the causes of poverty alleviation and economic development in Akwa Ibom State?
- What are the prospects of poverty alleviation and economic programme in Nigeria?
- What are the major problem of poverty alleviation programme in Nigeria?
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Poverty alleviation is one of great concern to the nation and the Akwa Ibom people.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study will focus on the benefit of poverty alleviation and economic development using life enhancement agency Akwa Ibom State as a case study.
1.6 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY
This work is organized in five chapters, chapter one present the introduction of the work. This chapter contains the introduction, background of the study, statement of problems, objectives of the study, research question, significance of the study, scope of the study, organisation of the study and definition of terms. Chapter two deals with the review of related literature in the area of poverty alleviation measures and economic development. Chapter three contains research design and methodology. This is made up of the source and method of data collection and the tools of analysis adopted in the study.
Chapter four is on data presentation, analysis and interpretation. Chapter five presents the findings, recommendation and conclusion.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
- Poverty: It is the condition which a man cannot meet his economic needs in order to satisfy his needs of life. According to Anele (2000) citing oral brath work stated that people are poverty – stricken when their incomes even it adequate for survival, fall markedly below those of the community.
- Alleviation: This is the reading of poverty and improving economy in order to improve standard of living.
- Poverty Alleviation Measures: This is the effort of the government to general towards alleviation poverty from the economy, therefore encouraging economic development.
- Economy: The relationship between production, trade and the supply of money in a particular country or region.
- Development: This is capacity to grow and change multi-dimensionally. It can also be defined as a system which lead to goods change manifested. In increase capacity of people to have control over materials assets. This is also social activities that have to take place to provide positive result that are capable of transforming the materials.
- Economic Development: This is a process by which the level of national production (i.e. national income) or capital increase over the period of time.
REFERENCES
Anele, K. A. (2002) Social Stratification and Inequality and Introduction Text, Port Harcourt: Embai Printing and Publishing Company.
Anikpo, M. (1995) “Poverty and the Democratic process: The new face of mass poverty in Nigeria in Graduate School lecture series University of Port Harcourt.
Meze, M. E. (2006) “An Evaluation of the influence of poverty eradication programme on Anocha Local Government Area of Anambra State” in the enterprise. An international Research Journal for Development Port Harcourt, NRCAD, Vol.8, No.1
Maxwell, M. A (1994) Poverty profile for Nigeria “Four point demand. An annual quest, lecture of the house, Universities of Ibadan, INKE publisher Ibadan.
