Reduction In Nigeria Research Articles

Effect of Rural Banditry on Food Security and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

This research investigates how rural banditry hinders sustainable food security and poverty reductions in Nigeria. The Food and Agricultural Organisation, the International Monetary Fund, the National Bureau of Statistics, the United Nations Development Programme, scholarly journals, and field surveys were the sources from which the data were gathered. Three hundred questionnaires were administered to farmers in six states via Plateau, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Benue, Oyo and Niger, in addition to a focused group discussion with selected farmers in each of the study areas. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings show that unemployment, poverty, poor governance, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient security measures and lack of effective institutional coordination, create a network of individuals who support or engage in banditry; farmers experienced disruptions in farming activities, psychological distresses and loss of livestock. Among the socio-economic impacts of banditry include: loss of income and economic opportunities, displacement and migration of the rural population, reduced productivity and infrastructural degradation. These led to food shortages, hikes in food prices, malnutrition and increased poverty level in Nigeria. This study emphasizes the urgent need by the federal and state governments to tackle the problems of unemployment and poverty; develop infrastructure; increase security expenditure; and implement targeted rural development policies. These solutions will curb rural banditry, ensure food security and reduce poverty in Nigeria. Keywords: Rural Banditry, food security, poverty reduction, food production, development policies, farmers.

Social Capital, Food Consumption Expenditure and Rural Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Social Capital, Food Consumption Expenditure and Rural Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Financial Technology (Fintech) as a Driver for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

ABSTRACT: The human race has been confronting the issue of poverty which is threatening its continued existence for a long time. Poor access to finance can lead to poverty this breeds health issues, lack of access to social and recreational facilities, social delinquencies, reduced living standard, malnutrition and economic difficulties. The goal of defeating poverty in its various ramification remains a cardinal concern for policy formulators in the Nigerian state and international bodies such as the World Bank and United Nations. Following the thriving emergence of financial technology (fintech) in Nigeria, there exist a dearth in academic researches to examine how fintech can be a driver in the reduction of poverty. This study examined the impact of financial technology on poverty reduction in Nigeria. Data on poverty rate, financial technology, mortality rate, literacy rate and gross domestic products were obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin for the period of 1991 – 2021. This study employed the multiple linear regression estimation technique to analyse collected data as it examines a cross-section of major key independent variables across a time series data, on the premise of a common effect model. Data analysed indicates a negative and significant nexus between poverty rate and financial technology innovation. The result also suggest that literacy rate and poverty rate have a negative and insignificant relationship. The poverty rate was also found to be positively and insignificantly related to mortality rate and gross domestic products respectively. The study findings have several significant policy implications. Firstly, infrastructures that support internet and mobile telephony should be expanded by providing incentives for investment since technology is the backbone of the operations of fintech. Secondly, education on fintech, information communication technology and finance should be increased to fill the gap among citizens who are not technological inclined especially in the rural areas to increase the use of fintech. Lastly, there should be further regulatory interventions through reforms to remove the barriers to credit.

EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION ON POVERTY REDUCTION, SAVINGS AND NIGERIA ECONOMIC GROWTH: 1980 -2022

This study examined the financial inclusion and Nigerian economic growth for the period 1980-2022. The study considered the following three objectives; to examine the significant impact of financial inclusion on the Nigerian economic growth, evaluate the impact of financial inclusion on poverty reduction in Nigeria and to ascertain the impact of financial inclusion no savings growth in Nigerian economy. Secondary time series data were used to carry out the empirical analysis. The study employed the aid of vector error correction model (VECM) approach, Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron tests, Co-integration Test and ECM. Based on the above econometric and statistic techniques conducted, it was observed that financial inclusion has significant positive impact on the Nigerian economic growth. Our results indicated that financial inclusion has significant positive impacts on poverty reduction in Nigeria. Furthermore, the result reported that financial inclusion has significant positive impact on the Nigerian savings growth within the study period (1980-2022). These empirical results do support that; One percent decrease in the interest rate (ITR), inflation rate (IFR) and exchange rate (EXR) at lag (-2) will lead to [31% (ITR)-2), 53%(IFR)-2), and 8%(EXR)-2)] increases on the aggregate saving (ASE) Nigeria economy. One percent increase in the financial inclusion proxy by; deposit from the rural areas (DRA), loan to rural areas (LRA), account owners of any type (AA) and electronic money banking/payment system (EMB) at lag (-2) will lead to [38%(DRA)-2), 29%(LRA)-2), 59%(AA)-2) and 03%(EMB)-2)] increases on Per capita income (PCI) respectively in Nigeria. Based on these findings, the researcher recommends that; Nigeria governments should fund financial inclusion programs preferring financial literacy as a national strategy for financial inclusion because it is relatively cheaper to educate the population about financial management and the benefits of using formal financial services. Stable electricity supply to drive the infrastructural facilities provided by banks, telecommunication companies and other related service providers such availability and affordability of financial services in Nigerian monetary authority (CBN) should increase the number of formal account ownership by building up trust securities in financial institutions operation in Nigeria, remove all obstacles for account ownership such as income and age bracket bias, distance in location and education discrimination in the delivery and use of financial services

Environmental degradation on poverty reduction in Nigeria

Environmental degradation on poverty reduction in Nigeria

Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: A Religious Imperative

Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: A Religious Imperative

Social Protection and Peacebuilding: Exploring the Causal Relationship between Social Protection Programmes and Conflict Reduction in Nigeria

Social Protection and Peacebuilding: Exploring the Causal Relationship between Social Protection Programmes and Conflict Reduction in Nigeria

Empirical Analysis of Human Capital Development and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria (1981-2022)

This study examined the impact of human capital development on poverty reduction in Nigeria covering the period 1981-20222. Data for the research were annual times series data on total education expenditures, total health expenditures, and inflation extracted from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin 2020 and poverty rate, out-of-pocket expenditures, and human development index collected from World Development indicators. The methodology adopted in the study is linear regression with the application of the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) technique. Other diagnostic tests which include unit-root test, autocorrelation, and normality test were carried out in the study. The major findings of the study were that total education expenditures (TOEDXP) have a positive and insignificant contribution to poverty reduction in Nigeria, total health expenditures (TOHEXP) have a positive and insignificant contribution to poverty reduction in Nigeria, and out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE) have a positive and insignificant contribution to poverty reduction in Nigeria. It is therefore the recommendation of the study that the government should also increase its expenditure on health and education. It is a fact that health is wealth and therefore, there is a need to provide a good environment, health facilities, an increased rate of doctor to patient ratio, health workers motivation and increased remuneration amongst others and also government should increase its expenditure on education as this would improve the standard of living of the citizens.

An Analytical Inquiry into the Impact of International Trade on Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

This work is propelled by the alarming rate at which poverty has continued to increase, thereby aiding socio-economic challenges in Nigeria. The work through the application of the ARDL and ECM framework of data analysis on secondary data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria, calibrated the impact of international trade on poverty reduction in Nigeria from 1981-2021. The result of the study has proven that the relationship between the nation's non-oil export and poverty is negative. However, evidence from the study more so alludes that the country's export of crude oil overtime has not had any meaningful effect of reducing poverty in Nigeria, rather the rate of poverty has continued to rise with the increase in oil exports. Empirical evidence from the study further revealed that Nigeria's imports within the scope of the work has had a significant negative relationship with poverty, which negates the theoretical condition of their expected relationship. Hence, to overturn this positive trend between oil exports and poverty rate, the Nigerian government needs to train and equip the unskilled poor Nigerian with requisite skills and knowledge that would make them gainfully employed in the oil industry, more so the country is admonished to restrict its imports to just commodities that cannot be produced locally.

Appraising the Relationship Between Foreign Aid on Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

This paper examines the impact of foreign aid on economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria, using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique for regression analysis. The study employs time series data from 1986 to 2020 to analyze the long-run and short-run relationship between foreign aid, economic growth in Nigeria. The study adopted the combined theories of economic growth of the Harrod-Domar Model, the Two-Gap Model and the Three- Gap Model in theoretical outlook. The data set is used to test the long-term relationship as well as the short-term relationship. The results show that foreign aid has a positive and significant impact on economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria in both the long-run and short run. The study concludes that foreign aid can be an effective tool for promoting economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria. The study recommended that in targeting aid towards infrastructure development, foreign aid can be used to fund infrastructure projects like building and upgrading roads, ports, and power plants to create jobs and increase economic activity. It also recommended investing in education and healthcare, foreign aid can be used to support education and healthcare initiatives, to improve the overall health and well-being of the population and increase productivity Economic-growth, Foreign aid, Poverty, Nigeria, Population, Three-Gap Model Two-Gap Model

Development Policies and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Nigeria is not referred to as the Poverty Capital of the World for lack of development policies. Even before the Second Republic, various regimes, have initiated brilliant development policies aimed at positioning the country as real Giant of Africa; as opposed to the demographic giant that we are on the continent today. The country is endowed with enormous human and material resources that could be harnessed for the benefit of the citizenry. But failure on the part of our leaders has led to the staggering level of poverty that inundates the land, especially, the country side. Sadly, poverty is not a phenomenon that can be cast away through prayers; or wished away; neither can development be achieved in the realm of desirability. It takes conscious planning, dogged and pragmatic efforts to conquer these phenomena. The paper adopts the Human Capital Theory by Gary Becker and Jacob Mincer as its theoretical framework. The theory is apt because it prescribes education, training and skills acquisition as mechanisms for attracting productivity, workers’ efficiency and overall socio-economic development. The work will take a cursory look at development policies initiated by past regimes, from the Second Republic till date. In that light, poverty reduction in Nigeria shall be viewed through the prism of the impact of the development policies experimented over the years. The study shall also look at the challenges that these policies faced in course of their implementation. The causes of the failures of these well-intended policies shall be looked into and recommendations to ameliorate the problems shall be given.

Social Media Entrepreneurship and Youth Unemployment Reduction in Nigeria

This study focuses on social media entrepreneurship and youth unemployment reductions in Nigeria. It aims to analyze the impacts of social media content creation on youth engagement, to examine the impact of social media marketing on job creation and to find out factors affecting social media entrepreneurship in Nigeia. The study was domiciled in Rivers State and the population of the study comprises 2,796,276 Rivers State youths. A sample size of 400 youths was drawn using Taro Yameni formula. The study adopts descriptive sample survey method and the data generated through questionnaire items was analyzed using SPSS statistical tools. The results revealed that social media content creation has provided youths with opportunities to engage themselves in self-employment and that social media marketing has enabled youth to sale their goods and services virtually thereby creating more jobs. However, the study identified that inadequate networks and lack of digital skills hinder social media entrepreneurship. Ther

Is Trade Liberalization the Oil for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria? Evidence from African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)

Is Trade Liberalization the Oil for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria? Evidence from African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)

Ommunity Policing as a Strategy for Crime Reduction in Nigeria. (A Case Study of Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State)

Community policing is a symbiotic and concerted effort of the police and members of the host communities to reduce the incidence of crime and criminal activities. Nigeria, as a country, has embraced the concept of community-based policing to forestall crime and criminal activities since the return of democracy in 1999. This research critically scrutinizes the ideology and beliefs of community policing in the Nigerian context, aiming to offer solutions to the major setbacks of community policing inNigeria. A non-probability sampling technique was employed for the current study. Self-constructed questionnaires were used to acquire data. Results revealed that the community members are in constant healthy relationship with the police, but the police collaboration with the community members regarding crime control/detection is not encouraging. The effort of the police authority in crime detection and control is commendable, and the fear of crime has been declining since the initiation of community policing. Success was attributed to the constant collaboration of the police with other security agencies. The residents fully supported the concept of community policing. Still, they suggested that massive employment, funding security agencies, and organizing skill acquisition programs to engage the unemployed will greatly help in crime reduction in addition to the concept of community policing. The challenges faced by the security agencies include recruitment of unqualified personnel, insufficient crime-fighting equipment/patrol vehicles, inadequate remuneration of the security personnel, and lack of trust in the security agencies by the residents.

The Effect of Infrastructure Development on Poverty Alleviation in a Developing Economy: An Empirical Study from Nigeria

The study examines the effect of infrastructure development on poverty alleviation in Nigeria from 1999 to 2022, focussing on key infrastructure facilities such as transportation, energy, water, sanitation, and telecommunications. The objective of this study was to empirically ascertain the influence of these indicators in reducing poverty level in Nigeria using statistical and econometric methods such as Pearson correlation and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. In addition, the researchers carried out a robust check on the outcomes of the study using the ARDL model, considering the principal components factor (PCA) of transport, energy, water and sanitation, and telecommunications infrastructure as a proxy for infrastructure development. The results indicate that infrastructure development has not helped in reducing poverty in Nigeria within the period of study. Specifically, the outcomes of the OLS revealed mixed results on both the direction and magnitude of the effect of infrastructure development on poverty alleviation. While the robust test validated the position that infrastructure development has not contributed to poverty reduction in Nigeria, signifying that a 0.58% increase in poverty level is associated with infrastructure development in Nigeria. The study concluded that infrastructure development in Nigeria has not effectively reduced poverty, primarily due to challenges faced by SMEs and negatively impacting living conditions across the nation. The study highlights the practical policy implications of these findings, requiring that Nigeria undertake a strategic and long-term perspective in her investment activities, similar to what has been done by successful developing countries to propel business productivity and poverty reduction.

Agricultural Financing, Food Production and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: Evidence from ARDL Model (Note 1)

The need for adequate food production in Nigeria is increasingly becoming a must-achieved objective for policy makers and government agencies owing to continuous rise of food prices. Notwithstanding this, food production requires adequate financing and by extension, plays some important role in reducing poverty level. Hence, this study investigates the extent to which specific agricultural financing will impact food production and reduce poverty level. The study employs secondary data which spans 1981 to 2021 and adopts Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) for the methodology. The choice of ARDL is to capture the impact for short- and long-run period. The findings from the study highlight the following: specific agricultural financing is found to be highly instrumental in promoting food production in the country. Aside this, food production is equally found to have much impact in reducing poverty level. This impact is assured in both short- and long-run periods. However, while available arable land significantly influences agricultural finance, it is much found to be sustained and long lived in the long run. Thus, the policy implication arising from this study gives necessity to a policy that will enhance credit facilities to the farmers and other supports that will ensure food surplus.

The Effect of Financial Inclusion on Poverty in Nigeria

The study investigates the nexus between financial inclusion and poverty in Nigeria, a nation where about 60% of the population lacks access to formal financial products and services. Financial inclusion is viewed as a crucial tool for alleviating poverty, and the research delves into the intricate interplay between these two factors in both urban and rural settings. Employing a linear probability model, the findings reveal that while having an account with a financial institution is positively correlated with poverty reduction, it does not stand alone as a solution for eradicating poverty. In this context, financial literacy plays a pivotal role in empowering individuals to make informed financial decisions, ultimately facilitating their escape from poverty. The promotion of financial literacy initiatives is of paramount importance. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of household size in poverty reduction. Smaller households, typically composed of 1-4 individuals, exhibit a greater potential for poverty reduction, while larger household sizes are associated with an increased likelihood of poverty. This pattern is consistent in both urban and rural areas, underscoring the need for precise interventions and policies that address the distinct challenges faced by rural communities, and concurrently, promote financial inclusion and stimulate economic development. In conclusion, the study underscores the significance of adopting a comprehensive approach to poverty reduction in Nigeria. It underscores the roles of financial inclusion, financial literacy, and customized strategies that consider household sizes and geographic contexts. By addressing these factors, policymakers, financial institutions, and communities can collaborate to develop sustainable solutions that uplift households from poverty and contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous society. Keywords: Poverty; Household Finance; Household Size, Urban; Rural

EFFECT OF FORMAL EDUCATION ON POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA

This study analyzes the impact of formal education on poverty reduction in Nigeria by studying the relationship between government expenditure on education, school enrolment, and labour force participation. It uses 30 years of annual time series data and employs various statistical methods, such as OLS regression, ADF test, Philip Peron unit root test, F-tests, and t-tests. Labour force participation serves as a proxy to understand how these macroeconomic variables affect poverty. The findings reveal that both school enrolment and government expenditure on education significantly affect labour force participation. Specifically, enrolment in secondary and tertiary education positively correlates with increased labour force participation. To enhance poverty reduction in Nigeria, the study proposes improving the effectiveness of government expenditure, enhancing access to quality secondary and tertiary education, fostering collaboration between education and businesses, and emphasizing vocational and technical education aligned with the labour market’s needs.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Challenges of Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Global continuous war against poverty facilitated the UN decision to rebrand the MDGs to SDGs. The major objective of the Sustainable Development Goals, is to combat poverty in its entirety all over the world while preserving the environment for future generations. Nigeria is one of such countries that poverty remains a major problem. Though, programmes and measures have been taken to curb it, both internationally and locally, poverty still exists. This study hopes to investigate the problems surrounding the inability for the UN’s SDG goals to be met in Nigeria. It hopes to examine those challenges the program has encountered on its journey to eradicating poverty and possibly suggest ways in which such hiccups can be delt with. The study adopted the Structural theory on poverty, which describes poverty as emanating from the opportunities given be various aspects of the society; economic, political or social to its people which limits there capabilities. Secondary qualitative sources of data were used for the study and the analytical method of data analysis was adopted in presenting the findings. The study recommends that the Nigerian government at levels need to create measures, monitor these measure that will ensure poverty is reduced to the barest minimum

EXAMINING THE SUITABLE PALLIATIVES IN CUSHIONING THE REMOVAL OF FUEL SUBSIDY IN NIGERIA

Various operational indicators pinpoint fuel subsidy as a major instrument in poverty reduction in Nigeria. However, its removal in 2023 by the administration of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have constitute a major obstacle to Nigeria’s Poverty reduction. It has been contended and reiterated that several interventions in the form of palliatives may have significant improvement in cushioning the economic hardship of fuel subsidy removal. Plagued with the challenges of Conflicts, insecurity and insurgency, the debate on the suitable operational palliatives to cushion or reduce the economic hardship of fuel subsidy removal exacerbate this study. Putting into consideration the economic fragility of the most populous country in Africa which palliatives best suit Nigerians. The operational theory for this study includes Progressive Social Theory, Geographical Disparities Theory, Cyclical Interdependence Theory and theory of Social Exclusion /Cumulative Disadvantage. The nature of the study was a qualitative one, and the content analysis method was used to analyse the secondary data. The study found that lack of transparency in previous palliatives particularly during Covid-19 pandemic fueled public skepticism in the present government fuel subsidy removal palliatives. It, therefore, recommends that there should be accountability and transparency in the distribution of fuel subsidy removal palliatives as a way of enhancing public confidence in the process. It also recommends the inclusion of other stakeholders besides party loyalists, such as community leaders, civil society groups, opposition party, and academia in the palliative committee.