Understanding Poverty from within: Approaching Complications through Implicating Policiesin Nigeria

Abstract

the globe. However, Nigeria has one of the largest people living in poverty. Reports have indicated that more than 60% of the Nigerian population could be characterized with poverty. In spite of differing poverty intervention program(both the government and private agencies), poverty and inequality in Nigeria still wax in a sporadic trend. From Operation Feed the Nation to the recent You WIN program, Nigeria's development program seems conflictualwith the dreams of "collective poor". Similarly, the presence of unresolved contradictions, between subjective and relative poverty perceptions among the Nigerian people, relatively contributes immensely, as well as contradicts the path-ways towards poverty reduction. Hence, despite government measures at reducing poverty, lackluster strategic intents ultimately inhibits among others, health care delivery andsecurity of lives in Nigeria. Could poverty persistence have been attributed to policy imperfections? Weak political will? Or individual perceptions of inequality?. The contribution of this paper therefore, is entrenched in systemic analysis of rationale behind policy imperfections in the quest for poverty reductions in Nigeria using (NEEDS) as a point of reference. However, the paper argues that, for Nigeria to adequately address poverty agenda as one of the pointers of millennium development goals by 2015, pro-poor strategic policy reformation remains imperative.