Assessing the impact of poverty alleviation programs on poverty reduction in Nigeria: Selected programs

Abstract

The menace of poverty can seem unavoidable in a developing country like Nigeria, with well over half the population under the poverty threshold despite several poverty alleviation programs implemented over four decades. Therefore, this paper investigates the impact of selected poverty alleviation programs on poverty reduction in Nigeria, covering the period from 1981 to 2015. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin and CBN Annual Reports constituted the main sources of data used in this study. Autoregressive distributed lagged models were used in estimating the relationship. Two categories of social intervention programs-"income and wealth redistribution programs" (a proxy for "longevity" in the Multidimensional Poverty Index [MPI] [Category 1]) and "access and empowerment programs" (a proxy for "education attainment" in the MPI [Category 2])were used, and both were found to reduce the poverty rate. Thus, a percentage point increment in access and empowerment programs reduces the poverty rate by 1.33%. The Category 1 relationship, however, was found to be statistically insignificant. In conclusion, the provision of credit facilities, social capital, and a congenial business environment should be encouraged by both public and private bodies in the poverty alleviation agenda.

Economic Growth and Extreme Poverty in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Non-Linearity and Governance Threshold Effect

“…Gidigbi ( 2023 ) examines the impact of selected poverty alleviation programs on poverty reduction in Nigeria, covering the period from 1981 to 2015. Two categories of social intervention programs were used, and both were found to be effective in reducing the poverty rate.…”

“…The author's arguments and conclusions are convincing because they are based on theoretical and empirical foundations, and because the work ultimately contributes to a meaningful understanding of the subject, which is the quality of governance must reach a well-determined threshold so that it can decrease the poverty rate. Gidigbi (2023) examines the impact of selected poverty alleviation programs on poverty reduction in Nigeria, covering the period from 1981 to 2015. Two categories of social intervention programs were used, and both were found to be effective in reducing the poverty rate.…”

Government Expenditure and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria (2000-2022)

“…Poverty in Nigeria has persisted despite efforts to achieve sustainable development, with poverty increasing over time (Monyei et al, 2023;Gidigbi, 2023). The rising poverty rate in Nigeria is a cause for concern, with a significant proportion of the population classified as "multidimensionally poor" (NBS, 2022).…”