IMPROVING WELLBEING THROUGH EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

After two decades of a return to democratic governance, Nigeria is still battling with the challenge of electing political leaders with clear vision of how to tackle poverty at the grassroots level. Poverty level in some states of the Federation had continued to rise over the years, with Nigeria being regarded as the poverty capital of the world as at 2019. The study examined leadership and poverty reduction at the grassroots level in Nigeria. The study found that the modes of leadership recruitment have not been credible, transparent and fair. It also indicated that poor conducts during the electoral process has reinforced poverty at the grassroots level. Hence, poor leadership has affected anti- poverty programmes instituted to combat high level of poverty at the grassroots level in Nigeria. The study recommended that there is an urgent need to ensure the credibility, transparency and fairness of modes of leadership recruitment, especially party primary elections in Nigeria. In addition, the electoral umpire should be strengthened for an improved management of the electoral process.