AN EVALUATION OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMME DURING OBASANJO’S ADMINISTRATION 1999-2007 (A CASE STUDY OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Poverty alleviation is one among the foremost challenges facing any country within the developing world wherever, on the common, majority of the
population is taken into account poor. Evidences in African nation shows that the quantity of these in financial condition has continuing to extend. As an
example the quantity of these in financial condition raised from twenty seventh in 1980 to forty sixth in 1985 and to sixty seven in 1996; by 1999
it raised to over seventieth (Ogwumike, 2001). Financial condition alleviation programmes in African nation square measure suggests that through that the
government. Aims to revamp and reconstruct the economy. The high incidence of financial condition within the country has created financial condition
alleviation ways necessary in policy choices over the years with varied results. Financial condition alleviation ways starting from Operation Feed the state of
1978, the revolution of 1982, the board of directors of Foods Roads and Rural Infrastructures DFFRI, the National board of directors for Employment
NDE, financial condition alleviation programme, PAP up to the National financial condition obliteration Programme, NAPEP were all makes an
attempt created by varied governments within the country to curb the menace. The stability of a fledgling democracy depends to a very large extent on the
ability of the governing elites to eradicate poverty. Democracy cannot thrive in an impoverished country where people live below $1 per day, and where
stresses of diseases, famine and climatic shock are pervasive (Sachs, 2005). Although poverty is a universal phenomenon that aect socio-economic and
political well being of its victims whether in a developed or underdeveloped country, however, available statistics shows that poverty in poor country is
absolute and more pronounced in the rural areas. In Nigeria, the rural populations that constitute about 73% of the country’s population (Presidential
Report, 1999) are backward and underdeveloped. A visit to any rural settlement in Nigeria will reveal dirt and unmovable roads, women and children walking barefooted and trekking long distance to get water and firewood, pupil studying under trees, a dilapidated and ill equipped health centres and scores of poverty driven problems (Aderonmu, 2007
