Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi

Poverty As An Obstacle to Sustainable Rural Socio – Economic Development: Exploring New Path Ways Towards Poverty Reduction In Nigeria

Dr. kwaghmande Joseph Iorhen and Dr. Murtala Abdullahi Kwarah

Abstract

Poverty in Nigeria today has become a common household phenomenon as Nigerians are enmeshed in circles of poverty that seem to defy any meaningful solution in recent times. The intensity of poverty even became more glaring as it was considered an important causative factor in the #endbadgovernance protests in Nigeria recently. It is indeed a cause for concern considering the fact that Nigeria is naturally endowed with abundant wealth but her citizens wallow in poverty. The recent poverty estimates by the World Bank where the poverty rate in Nigeria is estimated to have reached 38.9% in 2023, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians living below the poverty line — the world’s second largest poor population after India even becomes more worrisome. The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP (2023) has reported that majority of the poor in Nigeria reside in the rural areas where access to programmes of poverty reduction are difficult to come by. This means that most of the targeted poor for poverty alleviation hardly come to benefit from these programmes. Consequently, the rural dwellers in Nigeria continue to wallow in poverty as a result of neglect. This paper therefore examines the phenomenon of poverty as an obstacle to sustainable rural socio – Economic development that is required to reduce poverty amongst rural dwellers and create wealth. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the paper critically examines the phenomenon of Poverty as an obstacle to Sustainable Rural Socio – Economic Development in Nigeria. It assessed most especially previous government efforts towards poverty reduction in Nigeria and concludes that these programmes have not succeeded in reducing rural poverty due mainly to the lack of commitment by the government during implementation process thereby hampering rural development. The paper then provides a recipe and new pathways for the eradication of poverty in Nigeria.

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