The Menace of Poverty and the Challenges of Public Policy Making in Nigeria

Abstract

This study contends that poverty is a global phenomenon and no nation is immune to the scourge it is capable of causing especially when determined and clear policy measures are not put in place to check the menace. The objectives that interrogates the nerves of this discourse is to assess the rate of poverty in Nigeria as well as examine the role of government in poverty eradication. Also, to identify the various initiatives that governments in Nigeria have put in place since the pre; through and the post Structural Adjustment Programme era of the nation. Findings from the study reveals that attitudinal response and approach of both the government and the governed is appalling. Also, there exist a sharp disconnect between the government and the governed which has resulted into policy formulations that fail to meet the yearning, demand and desire of the people. Meanwhile, it was established that political and policy instability, poor targeting mechanism and inadequate coordination among the existing three tiers of government have done harm to programme implementation. The paper makes contribution by providing information and it adopt secondary source of data gathering. It concludes by recommending strengthened relationship/ communication between the governments and the governed to ensure proper and adequate policies that will meet their targets are made as well as enforcement of initiatives of governments directed at reducing poverty.

Impact of government policy on entrepreneurship growth and development of small-scale business

“…Policies are instruments for strategy implementation and they set boundaries, constraints and limits on the kinds of administrative actions that can be taken to reward and sanction behaviour; they clarify what can and cannot be done in pursuit of organisational objectives David and David (2015). Abioro and Adefeso (2016) argue that Public Policy refers to the actions of the Government and the intentions that determine those actions and that public policy is the study of policy-making by the government. It is the "sum of government activities whether acting directly or through its agencies to influence the lives of the citizens usually containing decisions of the governments' resolutions on what it will and what it will not do, consisting of the political decisions that go in line with the political will and implementation of the programmes to achieve societal goals" (Abioro and Adefeso, 2016).…”

“…Abioro and Adefeso (2016) argue that Public Policy refers to the actions of the Government and the intentions that determine those actions and that public policy is the study of policy-making by the government. It is the "sum of government activities whether acting directly or through its agencies to influence the lives of the citizens usually containing decisions of the governments' resolutions on what it will and what it will not do, consisting of the political decisions that go in line with the political will and implementation of the programmes to achieve societal goals" (Abioro and Adefeso, 2016).…”

Exploring the entrepreneurship policy-making and outcomes undertaken by public institutions involved in entrepreneurship development in Malawi

“…Policies are instruments for strategy implementation and they set boundaries, constraints and limits on the kinds of administrative actions that can be taken to reward and sanction behaviours; they clarify what can and cannot be done in pursuit of organisational objectives (David & David 2015). Abioro and Adefeso (2016) argue that public policy refers to the actions of the government and the intentions that determine those actions and that public policy is the study of policy making by the governments. It is the "sum of government activities whether acting directly or through its agencies to influence the lives of the citizens usually containing decisions of the decisions that go in line with the political will and implementation of the programmes to achieve societal goals" (Abioro & Adefeso 2016).…”

“…According to Abioro and Adefeso (2016), the development of a public policy starts with the public recognition that a problem exists and that there are three pre-public development stages namely: problem definition or issues formation, policy demand, and agenda formation. The next stage from the pre-policy stages in the development of a public policy is deliberation and policy adoption.…”