Escalating Poverty in Nigeria: Appraising Institutional Frameworks for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Abstract

The continuous increase in the incidence of poverty in Nigeria is not only a
serious problem but also an indication of the failure and decay of the existing
institutional framework for poverty reduction and therefore, requires a total
overhauling. It is in the light of this failure of the existing frameworks for poverty reduction and the widespread scourging poverty that this paper appraises previous and current initiatives at poverty reduction in Nigeria. The study mainly utilizes secondary data through the analysis of books, journals, reports and electronic sources. Data collected were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Results indicate that poverty reduction programmes are geared towards the delivery of social services. However, only very little impact has been made in terms of social services delivery by these institutions. Flawed policy, poor targeting of interventions programmes, lack of policy continuity and noninvolvement of programme beneficiaries, corruption among others were identified as the major challenges facing poverty reduction programmes in the delivery of social services in Nigeria. Among other issues, the study calls for policy alignment, targeting of intervention projects to reach the poor and involvement of project beneficiaries in the design and implementation of projects.