Millennium development goals: an appraisal of poverty eradication in Nigeria 2000-2015

• Main Author: Igwe, Stanley Chinedu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 2016
• Subjects: HC Economic History and Conditions
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/22125/1/CSS%2012%2011%202016%2033%2041.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/22125/; http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/css/article/view/8896
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

Nigeria in the year 2000 in line with the United Nations Millennium Declaration subscribed to among other Millennium Development Goals to eradicate poverty by at most the year 2015. The study assessed if this goal has been met via corroborated document review of extant data while drawing upon statistical statements on the continued incidence of poverty within the country amidst impressive economic growth records during the period under review.The study found that poverty alleviation measures had no significance on the target population due from the nature of their design and short term duration; while income disparity remained highly diverged.The persistent high poverty level in the country was traced to Marxist structural theories of poverty in which the redistribution of wealth in society endures more within classes than between classes. The study thus, recommends that funds committed to palliative poverty alleviation programmes should be diverted to the provision of enduring basic amenities like uninterrupted power supply and good roads that would impact on the lives of the generality of the people; while funds raised from privatisation should be reinvested in the evolution of new industries to enhance economic activities and enable more employment opportunities.