Combating the Rampaging Scourge of Poverty in the Mist of Plenty: Suggested Ways Out

Combating the rampaging scourge of poverty the world over has remained a daunting challenge, this explained why world leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration in year 2000, at the United Nations (UN) Millennium Summit in New York. A resolute commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, and just world, the declaration included a set of targets for development and poverty reduction to be reached by 2015. These came to be known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is imperative to note that of the eight goals, poverty alleviation top the agenda, while others include; education, gender equality, child and maternal health, HIV/AIDs reduction, and environmental sustainability in developing countries, as well as a “global partnership for development” (MDG 8), covering rich countries’ commitments to aid, an open and non-discriminatory trading and financial system, technology transfer, and debt relief. Poverty, either as a plague or cause of other specific under development ailments, afflicts Nigeria as it does other Nations of the World. The issue is essentially not due to want of programmes but that of effectiveness of such programmes and strategies to combat poverty in Nigeria. The study attempted to investigate the effectiveness of the various poverty combating strategies in Nigeria, especially in relation to the policy and strategy formulation, implementation, coordination, monitoring, control and review, sourcing and utilisation of resources (both human and material) and complementarity of programmes. The study also focused on the impact of the past strategies and programmes on the poor. The study used the survey approach and chi-square to collect, collate, analyze and present data. The study therefore recommends amongst other things that it is imperative for Government Ministries and its Agencies (MDAs) to develop a multi-dimensional approach to poverty combating and adequate budgeting and timely disbursement of funds to Poverty combating programmes should be accorded top priority.