SKILL ACQUISITION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMME IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
ABSTRACT
This study is evaluating skill acquisition and poverty alleviation in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. One of the major challenges facing developing and underdeveloped countries of the world is poverty. It has been so endemic as a result of the high rate of unemployment that has become the major characteristic of the developing and underdeveloped countries of the world. Although the level and magnitude of poverty ad unemployment has been observed to be different within and across nations, it still remains the major obstacle to the success of the struggle for the optimum utilization of human resources for both social and economic development of nations. Powerful alleviation programme in Akwa Ibom State is focused on Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES). The scheme emphasizes on providing for training opportunities, skills acquisition, employment opportunities and wealth creation through enhanced income generation, improved social station and rural development the scheme is primarily aimed at economically empowering the youth and emphasize Capacity Acquisition Programme (CAP), Mandatory Attachment Programme (MAP) and Credit Delivery Programme (CDP). As a means of overcoming the difficulties of the past poverty alleviation programmes in tackling youth unemployment, the government in Akwa Ibom State decided to adopt Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) as a viable strategy in tackling youth unemployment.
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SECTION ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
One of the major challenges facing developing and underdeveloped countries of the world is poverty. It has been so endemic as a result of the high rate of unemployment that has become the major characteristic of the developing and underdeveloped countries of the world. Although the level and magnitude of poverty ad unemployment has been observed to be different within and across nations, it still remains the major obstacle to the success of the struggle for the optimum utilization of human resources for both social and economic development of nations.
The World Bank estimated that 1.29 billion people in the world were living in absolute poverty in 2008. of these, about 400 million people absolute poverty lived in India and 173 million people in China. In USA, 1 out of 5 children lives in poverty. An terms of percentage of regional populations, sub-Saharan Africa at 47% had the highest incidence rate of poverty in 2008 (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2013).
Africa entered the 21st century as the poorest, the most technologically Backward, the most debt distressed and most marginalized region of the world, Economic Commission for Africa, (2001). with the portion Nigeria occupy in Africa in terms of the share of population, one cannot but imagine the percentage of Nigerians that area affected by this debilitating monster called poverty and hence making the war against poverty one of the cardinal policy of government in Nigeria. As Ajegi (2002) rightly observed, the poverty situation in Nigeria has indeed assumed a crisis dimension. Records from the Bureau of statistics show that about 67% of Nigerians live below the poverty line. The data further reveal that only 50% of the population has access to safe drinking water, while 38% cannot avail themselves of primary health care. It is estimated that about 70% of Nigerians consume less than 1/3 the minimum protein and vitamin intake due to low purchasing power. This statistics shows the very death of poverty in Nigeria. It is dehumanizing and can be treated as a killer disease, which has assumed an epidemic state. Any responsible government will not go to sleep with such a terrible situation. The government of Nigeria through most of has policies and programmes has made tremendous effort toward charging the Senaris in the country. Despite the effort of government in this direction, the “poverty virus” is getting more entrenched and spreading wider among the populace. This incidence is higher among the youth who falls, within the age bracket of 15-35. The untrained and unskilled youth grows into an unemployable man who cannot be employed because of his lack of marketable skills to be engaged in a job that can adequately support his family. This makes it impossible for him to provide for his children in terms of education both at the formal and informal level to guarantee his wards self-sufficiency. This, the cycle continue with the generation after generation propagating this vicious cycle of poverty.
SKILL ACQUISITION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMME IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
