Towards Effective Poverty Eradication in Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Poverty, which could be both an effect and a cause of itself among a people, has been a contemporary issue of global concern. It is most endemic among rural dwellers. In this study, the existence or otherwise of poverty in Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State was analyzed. Poverty in the area was
decomposed into its distribution, depth and severity among four major
occupational groups using the Forester, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) family of
poverty measures, and other Social Indicators of Poverty. The results show that poverty is most endemic among the farmers (which is the largest occupational group in the area) while the Artisans, though having the next headcount ratio (HCR), had the lowest severity. The paper therefore recommends among other things that, Institutions that provide the right set of incentives to farmers and entrepreneurs should be strengthened by government and relevant authorities to provide accessible funding and education to agricultural and related businesses and to create good market outlets for farm produce.