Policy Discontinuity and Poverty in Nigeria

Abstract

Incidence of poverty is a global phenomenon, as it affects many nations of the world. However, its magnitude and scope varies from one country to another. In Nigeria, the inability to effectively tackle widespread poverty despite successive governments’ policies aimed at eradicating or alleviating the menace is a cause for concern. This paper therefore examined the policies and programmes of government aimed at reducing the phenomenon of widespread poverty in Nigeria including the reason de ’tar for their failure which this paper attributes to policy discontinuity. Materials for this paper were obtained from secondary sources. The paper posited that policy discontinuity more than any factor, was and remains a major impediment to poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Other factors include high rate of corruption and mismanagement of resources as well as lack of community-based poverty alleviation policies and programmes involving practically the poor people in Nigeria, among others contributed to the policy failure. The paper offered recommendations including, among others the need for the continuity of policies and programmes that are result oriented and the discontinuity of the ones not anchored on community-based poverty eradication/alleviation strategies. Thus, there is need for the involvement of the intended beneficially, especially at the formulation and implementation processes to effectively and efficiently stem the tide of the incidence of poverty in Nigerian society.