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The Statistical Analysis Of Poverty As A Disease In Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 4]
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The statistical analysis of poverty as a disease in Nigeria is a project of interest that is relevant to be discussed, checked, and if possible enhance the complete eradication of poverty in a society like Nigeria. The level of poverty in Nigeria has been massive, pervasive, and chronic, engulfing a large proportion of the society.
According to the Federal Office of statistics [Socio-Economic profile of Nigeria (1996], which stated that though, the concern about poverty in Nigeria has been very tremendous, but there is yet to be a significant and positive change in the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Resulting from large scale poverty, human conditions have greatly deteriorated, real disposable incomes have dwindled, while malnutrition rates are on the increase in Nigeria. Resulting from the rate of population growth which has outstripped the rate of food production and the rate of increase in the social services, the quality of nutrition as well as of educational and health services has deteriorated a great deal.
The concern for poverty is therefore two dimensional. Overtime, a sizeable reduction in poverty is important, both in its own right, and as a first step to providing the means for the self-improvement of the most disadvantaged group in the society. If this task can be attained, there is a tendency of reducing by half, between 1992 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day.
(Source: Federal office of statistics (2005); Poverty profile for Nigeria, March 2005).
The policies most likely to achieve these objectives are those that stimulate growth and employment, and in doing so, provide incomes for the poor, and use some of the resources generated to make adequate social provisions for the people who cannot benefit directly from rising incomes.
However, according to Ahmad and Hemming (1991), the macro economic stabilization and structural adjustment policies that are necessary for growth may have adverse effect on the poor people in the short run. To avoid further impoverishment of the majority of the population, therefore, there is need to put in place policies that will protect the poor from the immediate consequences of adjustment.
As such, policies and programmes aimed at poverty reduction need to address basic issues about the nature and magnitude of poverty as a disease in Nigeria. But, since I will be using the southsouth geopolitical zone of Nigeria as my case study, it will be most appropriate to premise the discussion of the project on the zone.
Regardless of the fact that the southsouth geopolitical zone of Nigeria is an oil producing zone and serves as a source of wealth to Nigeria, the level of poverty in the zone is still as alarming as it is in the other zones of the country. Though, being the second zone with the lowest poverty incidence with 58.2% in 1996, and 35.1% in 2004, poverty as a disease is still evident, and endemic in the zone, particularly in the rural areas of the zone, and, this is often due to the mismanagement of the zone’s share of allocated revenue from the Federal Government’s Revenue by the leaders in charge of the affairs of the southsouth geopolitical zone.
1.2 RATIONAL FOR THE STUDY
One of the rational for this project is to know the level of poverty, and to address the issues of poverty as they relate to the human, ad socioeconomic development in the southsouth geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
Another rational for the study is to assess the existing poverty programmes in the southsouth zone of Nigeria with a view to suggesting improvements. Examples of such programmes are:
National poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP); National Economic Empowerment, and Development Strategy (NEEDS); Small, and Medium Scale Investment Equity Insurance Scheme (SMIEIS); among others.
1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
One of the aims and objectives of the study is to reduce by half, between 1992 and 2015, the proportion of people in the zone whose income is less than one dollar a day. This aim can only be achieved through the creation of employment opportunities, income generating programmes, and skill acquisition programmes by the Government, inorder to improve the living conditions of the people.
Another aim and objective of the study is to improve the health services standard in the zone, inorder to reduce: the spread of diseases, and the death rate, and consequently, increase the life expectancy of the people in the zone.
This task can only be achieved through the provision of well-equipped social infrastructure interms of health facilities in strategic areas throughout the zone, as well as ensuring that drugs, and treatment are readily available, and affordable for the poor masses in the zone.
Another aims and objective of the study is to improve the Educational Standard in the zone, inorder to reduce the level of illiteracy; and consequently, increase the level of literacy among the people in the southsouth geopolitical zone of Nigeria. This task can be achieved by the Government through the provision of social infrastructures like schools for all ages, which would as well be well-equipped with the appropriate facilities and trained personnels (teachers) that will be in charge.
Above all, the aims and objectives that is the most paramount is the provision of the basic necessities of life by the Government. These basic necessities include items such as: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, social amenities like pipeborne water, good roads, Health and Education services, among others, in order to improve the poor standard of living of the people. All these mentioned aims and objectives can be achieved by the Government through the formulation of certain programmes and policies that would stimulate growth, employment, skill acquisition, and income generating opportunities, among others.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 4]
Page 1 of 4
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