THE DETERMINANTS AND MEASUREMENTS OF POVERTY IN NIGERIAN ECONOMY

THE DETERMINANTS AND MEASUREMENTS OF POVERTY IN NIGERIAN ECONOMY (ECONOMICS PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)

ABSTRACT

This study takes a critical evaluation at the measurement and determinants of poverty in the Nigerian economy. Poverty concerns individual’s inability to cater adequately for the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. It reflects inability to meet social and economic obligations; lack of gainful employment, skills, assets and self-esteem. It is anchored on limited access to social and economic infrastructures such as education, health, potable water and sanitation, thus limiting the chance of advance welfare to utmost level of capability.

Despite sustained rates of economic growth in Nigeria, statistics on incomes and social indicators show poverty to be widespread, severe and almost increasing. Although government poverty alleviation programmes feature in many communities, but their effectiveness in addressing poverty is constrained by patterns of political patronage. This has led to inequality in the distribution of facilities and services, leaving the inaccessible or socially and politically marginal communities unserved. While the alleviation of poverty still remains a major objective of development policy in Nigeria, the debate continues as to most effective way to achieve this objective.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1INTRODUCTION

Poverty is one of the intractable problems facing mankind today.  In 1995, an estimated 1.3 billion people out of the estimated 5.8 billion people in the world were living in the shackles of extreme poverty, living on less than one dollar a day (Human Development Report, 1998)

Poverty is a plague-affecting people all over the world and it is a condition that denies individuals the right to exercise their full potentials.  There is no universally accepted definition of poverty, but poverty can be defined as having insufficient income to meet the basic human needs of life.   If the real national income of a country is small that country will be poor, and a higher standard of living for its people can be achieved only by an increase in the total volume of production. Poverty has often been defined as a situation of low income or low consumption.

THE DETERMINANTS AND MEASUREMENTS OF POVERTY IN NIGERIAN ECONOMY (ECONOMICS PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)