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.
Essentially, it is not difficult to recognize the poor. The poor are those who are unable to obtain adequate income, find a stable job, own properties or maintain healthy living condition. They also lack an adequate level of education, cannot satisfy their basic health needs and their minimum basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. Poverty amidst plenty is a striking feature of the Nigerian scene. Nigeria is the richest in the continent yet millions of her people are poor. According to the Human Development Report (1998), Nigeria is one of the 25th poorest countries in the world and more than one third of her populace is not expected to survive beyond the age of 40. This is not the Nigerian dream. It is the Nigerian paradox. Poverty is a more serious problem in our society than in societies with much less income and wealth. Poverty amidst poverty is easier to understand and even condone but in a land of abundance, it is difficult to comprehend why some people are inadequately fed, clothed and sheltered. Poverty is a reality that needs to be studied, understood, appreciated and then eradicated.
However, attempt made to alleviate poverty in Nigeria has been fruitless. A true welfare package which should be aimed at sustaining and augmenting the living standard of the poor has not been formally implemented in Nigeria. The most recent poverty programme is the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) introduced in 1999 by the Obasanjo administration which has only helped in elevating poverty in the country.
The proportion of poverty is often determined by the poverty line, usually based on the level of income or consumption expenditure by households, although poverty is felt and observed especially by the poor themselves. Poverty can be identified in two ways: Absolute and Relative Poverty. If the physical human subsistence that is nutrition, clothing and housing is not guaranteed, it can be referred to as Absolute Poverty and Relative poverty refers to a person or household whose provision with goods is lower than that of other persons or households.
Absolute and Relative poverty can also b
.