SKILL ACQUISITION AS A TOOL FOR POVERTY REDUCTION IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
Successive Administration in Nigeria have been faced with the phenomenon of poverty and unemployment in Nigeria and various attempts have been made to tackle this problem. Bayelsa State is worst hit with this monster of unemployment and poverty in the state.
This research is an attempt to evaluate the various measures put in place to eradicate poverty and the issue of unemployment in Bayelsa State. This research has X-rayed how skill acquisition was used as a tool for poverty reduction in Bayelsa State and how skill acquisition has enhanced sustainable development and creation of employment for the teeming population.
This research work examined previous skill acquisition programmes put in place in Nigeria and in Bayelsa in particular and the measures put in place toward its implementation. Data sources came primary and secondary sources, individuals especially by interview method.
The Research discovered that the major problem with skill acquisition is the policy implementation and not formulation.
The Research recommends that government should establish enough skill acquisition centres in the state and in all the local government areas.
There is also the urgent need to introduce vocational schools that will teach useful skills. The Research also recommend that both non government agencies and wealthy individuals should help to create jobs for the youth because of the poverty level.
This is because some beautiful ideas and suggestions from our Universities and Research Institutions are not Implemented or executed in respect to poverty and unemployment reduction.
The government should have the political will to carry along the Universities that have severally given good suggestions on how to tackle poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – ii
Approval – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgement – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – vi
Table of content – – – – – – vii
Chapter One: Introduction – – – – 1
Background of the Study – – – – 9
Statement of the Problem – – – – 9
Research Questions – – – – – 10
Objective of the Study – – – – 11
Significance of the Study – – – – 11
Scope and Limitations of the Study – – 12
Chapter Two: Literature Review and Study Area 14
Literature Review – – – – – 14
Conceptualizing Skill Acquisition – – 14
Historical Overview of Past Poverty Eradication Programme in Nigeria – – – – 20
Skill Acquisition Schemes in Bayelsa State- – 28 National Directorate of Employment (NDE)- – 29 Industrial Development Centres (NDE) – 30
Bayelsa State Economic Empowerment and Development (BY-SEED) – – – – 31
Chapter Three: Methodology – – – – 33
Research Design – – – – – 33
Sources of Data – – – – – 34
Population of Study – – – – – 34
Sample and Sampling Procedure – – 35
Validity and Reliability of Instrument – 35
Method of Data Presentation and Analysis- – 36
Theoretical Frame Work – – – – 36
Chapter Four: Data Presentation and Analysis of Findings 39
4.1 Data Presentation and Findings – – 39
4.2 Analysis of Findings – – – – – 39
4.3 Summary of Findings – – – – 45
Chapter Five: Summary, Recommendation and
Conclusion – – – – 47
5.1 Summary – – – – – – – 47
Recommendations – – – – – 50
Conclusion – – – – – – – 51
Bibliography – – – – – – 52
Appendixes – – – – – – 54
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
There has been growing rate of Poverty in Bayelsa State. The disheartening and most appalling situation is that despite the huge abundance of mineral resources in the state, the condition of life of the people is pitiable.
A vast number of the population is unemployed and those who are lucky to be employed are underemployed. The economic and source of livelihood are devastated by long period of oil exploration and exploitation. There are no potable water, no accessible road, schools are poorly staff with dilapidating building and worst still is the epileptic power supply and gas turbine.
The above hostile and discouraging social and economic milieu have induced all sorts of social vices among the people especially the youths and the unemployed whose energy and ingenuity need to find expression some where. Some are
qualified and eager to work but unable to find any gainful activity to engage their creative energy and talent. There are also a very high level of corruption and squandering of their resources by their leaders. Many, including the young and old have imbibed the culture of get rich syndromes, engineered by the unwholesome system and exemplified by their greedy and corrupt leaders.
The youth have devised some disingenuous means to satisfy their ungodly appetite in militancy, commercial begging and prostitution. They have abandoned the long traditional Africa culture of hardwork, dignity of labour and honesty.
Despite the blessing of abundant resources there is also hostile physical environmental condition, including erosion problem, water hyacinth, oil spillage that have destroyed their farmland and aquatic life and many other have played varying roles in worsening poverty in the area.
The existing oil companies have also worsened the situation by not employing them with an ostensible reason that they are not qualified. Despite the huge revenue allocation from the federal government to the state, high level illiteracy, in equality, in security, deprivation of fundamental human rights and basic needs for human survival and most important poverty are pervast in the state.
And despite the state government effort put in place like the National Directorate of employment, the needed result have not been achieved.
It is on this premise that this research is carried out to find out how skill acquisition can effectively be used to reduce and eradicate poverty in Bayelsa state.
The skill acquisition which is an instrument of empowerment that seek to provide the people with skill, vocation and entrepreneurial, bead making, hat making, sewing, shoe
making and making workers interested in their job and at the same vein improving on their existing skills.
These practical training skill which also include carpentry, upholstery and others will in no doubt help to reduce or eradicate the poverty level in Bayelsa state.
The united nation development Report (1990) says enhancing the human factor is the real wealth of a nation. It is through human creativity, initiative, capability and commitment that true development can be achieved.
Skill acquisition is the process and the means of releasing human energy, it means providing an opportunity for people to make the maximum contribution to their own development and to the self development of their communities Asante (1991) skill acquisition will help to reduce the poverty rate if people are trained in diverse areas and they in turn create wealth for themselves and their immediate environment.
Every body can not get government job or white colar job and hence the need for skill acquisition that will shape and improve the lives of the people who have resigned to fate for lack of job.
Electrical, Mechanical, Technical as well as fashion design can be acquired. These skill if well acquire can make the individual to be self rehance and thus the issue of a burden to others will not be there.
Noe etal (2003) suggest that enabling the individual to acquire skill can make him bring about good innovation, good performance, self respect and improvement in their quality of lives.
Therefore the right way to reduced poverty amongst our, people is to enable them acquire the skill that they so desire and they will do well in life than to roam about in the cities or villages.
Breach, A.O (1990) recommends that the best way to empower a people is through skill acquisition which is the process of enlarging people’s choices for a long and healthy life, knowledge acquisition and access to resources needed for a decent standard of living.
Poverty is current one of the most serious problems in the world. Recent estimates indicate that about 1.5 Billion people line below the poverty line based on an estimated income of less than one dollar per day globally Onadozie (2004).
The eradication of absolute poverty is the central objectives of contemporary development policy. The international community determine to overcome poverty has been highlighted by the sustainable activity of the international development donor partners such as United Nation Garba (2004).
Poverty has remained a problem in Nigeria and Bayelsa in particular since independence successive governments have
tried effort to address it with a view to reducing, alleviating and eradicating it. Today after over fifty years of independence. This demeaning life style has not only remained prevalent among the people but also is believed to be intensifying.
Poverty in Bayelsa State is translated in term of the absence of basic amenities of life including
Having not enough to eat
Poor drinking water
Poor nutrition
Unfit housing
A high rate of infant mortality
Low life expectancy
Low education opportunities
Inadequate health care
Lack of productive assets
Lack of economic infrastructure
In ability to actively participate in decision making process (2010).
SKILL ACQUISITION AS A TOOL FOR POVERTY REDUCTION IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA
