CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Poverty alleviation is one of the most difficult challenges facing and country in the developing world where, on the average, majority of the population is considered poor. Evidences in Nigeria shows that the number of those in poverty has continued to increase.

For example the number of those in poverty increased from 27% in 1980 to 45 in 1985 and to 67% in 1996, by 1999 it increased to more than 70% (Ogulumike, 2001) poverty alleviation programme in Nigeria are means through which the government high incidence of poverty in the country has made poverty alleviation strategies ranging from operation Feed the nation of 1978, the Green revolution of 1982, the directorate of foods, Roads and Rural infrastructure DEFRI, then National Directorate for Employment NDE, poverty alleviation programme, PAP up to the National poverty alleviation programme, NAPEP were all attempts.

The alleviation of poverty is one of the most difficult challenges facing any country in the developing world where on this average majority of the population is considered poor.

In Nigeria evidences have been shown ;that number of those in poverty increased from 24 percent in 1980 to 46 percent in 1985, the ratio increase to 53 percent in 1996 and rose steeply thereafter, reading an estimate to million people or 67 percent of the population in 1999 with these figures, Nigeria now accounts for needy one fourth of sub-square Africans population (Global Economic Prospects 2001).

In the past poverty has been regarded as a rural phenomenon, in Nigeria, but recent studies have concluded that urban poverty has gown faster than rural poverty, owing largely to the massive migration from rural areas to the citizens, with the incidence of urban poverty almost matching that of rural poverty (World Development Report, 2001).

The poor in Nigeria have limited access to savings and credit facilities, good roads, pipe borne water, innovative technology and out put markets. They are predominantly in the agricultural sector, and in petty trading teaching utilizing traditional input, moreover female headed households, widows and single mothers are particularly vulnerable to poverty. Consequently the federal government has in recent years macro policy of government.

Additionally, the multilateral financial institution such as the international monetary fund.

• Statement of the Problem

In 1980 poverty was largely a rural phenomenon from records, 28 percent of rural people were under poverty as compared with 17 percent in 1980’s table 3, p28 of the urban dwellers (Shaohua chen and martin Ravallion, 2007) “How have the world poorest fared since the early”. Generally, the estimates of poverty rates shows that for the period of review poverty incidence gap and severity seems to be positively correlated to size of households.

In terms of trends in individual size, groups experienced an increase in poverty rates between 1980 and 1985, all groups with exception of the size group “20 and above”, persons experienced on increase in poverty live. Successive governments in Nigeria had collaborated with various international organizations. Notably, the World Bank United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) etc.

During the era of pre-structural adjustment planning and management, government only showed concern for poverty alleviation indirectly. The era of SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme) has marked the formulation of conscious policies effort by government towards poverty alleviation.

The advent of structural adjustment programme (SAP) in 1986 brought out more forcefully the need for policies and programmes to alleviation poverty and provide safety nets for he poor.

• Objective of the Study

The objective of the study is to find out if the poverty alleviation programmes have yielded desirable result. To also look into problems in the state, to suggest possible solutions that will reduce poverty rate in the state and advice the body in change of the programme to use fund allocation to them maximally.

_        The different poverty alleviation programme

_        If the poverty alleviation programme yield         desirable result

_        The problems millating against poverty alleviation programmes

_       The ideal ways of handling the poverty problems      in the state

_        If the level of rural development in the poverty alleviation programme has increased

_        High level of corruption and lack of poverty in Akwa Ibom State.

• Research Questions

Does the failure to create employment is substantial numbers of absorb the increasing.