AWARENESS AND EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMMES ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF EWU COMMUNITY IN EDO STATE

ABSTRACT
The focus of this work is on the Awareness and Effect of Government poverty alleviation programmes on the socio-economic lives of the people of Ewu Community in Edo State.  A One-Time survey method was used to sample 87 respondents for the study.  Data collected from the respondents was done using questionnaire. Chi-Square was used in testing the hypothesis to enable the researcher know the relationship variable tested in the cause of carrying out this research work.
The result of the findings show that People of Ewu Community, have little or no awareness of the various government poverty alleviation programmes, and this has no effect on the socio-economic lives of the people in Ewu Community.  It is recommended that the government should provide good road networks, standard and stable energy supply, proper security, Health care services and also tackle unemployment crisis. This would enhance proper awareness and positive effect on the socio-economic lives of the people of the community.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
1.1     Background of Study-    -    -    -    -    -    -    -     
1.2     Statement of the Research Problem    -    -    -    -    -
1.3     Objective of Study    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
1.4     Significance of Study    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
1.5     Scope of Study
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW    
2.1    Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
2.2        Research Hypothesis    -    -    -    -    -    -
2.3    Theoretical Framework    -    -    -    -    -

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY    
3.1    Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    -    =
3.2    Population of Study    -    -    -    -    -    -
3.3    Sample Size and Sample Method    -    -    -    -
3.3    Method of Data Collection    -    -    -    -    -
3.5    Method of Data Analysis    -    -    -    -    -
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF DATA, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULT
4.1    Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.2    Section A    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.3    Analysis of Research Question    -    -    -    -
4.4    Testing Hypothesis    -    -    -    -    -    -
CHAPTER FIVE: FINDING, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1    Finding    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
5.2    Conclusion     -    -    -    -    -    -     -
5.3    Recommendation     -    -    -    -    -    -    
Reference      -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    
Appendix   -        -    -    -    -    -    -    -
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
One of the main issues in the rural development debate is to tackle rural poverty. More than 70% of the world’s poor are found in rural areas where hunger, literacy and low school environment are common. Education for a large number of people in rural areas is crucial for achieving sustainable development (UNESCO 2002).
          The most pathetic feature of Nigeria society today is that a majority of its numbers are living in a state of destitution while the relatively insignificant minorities are living in affluence. Over the years, it has been revealed that Nigeria is one of the countries of the world that has greater number of poor people. Nigerian statistic presents a paradox. The country is rich but the people are poor per capital income today is around the same level as in 1970.

 And in between, Over 200 billion United States dollars has been earned from the exploitation of the countries oil resources. But there is little or absolutely nothing to show on how the country has been able to tackle poverty successfully.
          Poverty, according to United Nation, is a denial of choice and opportunity. A violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to feed and cloth a family or individual, not having a school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow ones food or a job to earn ones living, not having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individual, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence; it often implies living on marginal or fragile environment without access to clean water or sanitation (UN Statement, June 1998- signed by the heads of all UN agencies). http://www.un.org/esa/socdv/ungin/documents/ydi DavidGordon_poverty).
      
In 1995, the UN adopted two definitions of poverty. Absolute poverty, a condition characterized by severe deprivation on basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education, information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services.
Relative poverty takes various form including lack of income and productivity resources to ensure sustainable live hood, hunger and malnutrition, ill health, limited or lack of access to education and other basic services, increased morbidity and mortality from illness, homelessness and inadequate living, unsafe environment and social discrimination and exclusion. It is also characterized by lack of participation in discussion making in social and cultural life. It occurs in all countries including Nigeria; it also means lose of livelihood as a result of economic recession, sudden poverty as a result of disaster or conflict, the poverty of low-wage workers and the utter destitution of people who fall outside family support system, social institution and safety nets.
         Poverty in Nigeria, in addition to it’s over whelming rural and regional characteristics; is also strongly influenced by education age and the nature of employment. Those without education account for most of the poor: 79% of the urban extreme poor, 92% of the rural had only primary schooling or less. The Participatory Poverty Assessment (PPA) indicates that poor children commonly and increasingly do not attend school. They and their parents consider that the quality of education (Particularly in rural areas) is very weak and that the prospect is minimal. Children therefore spend their time working and learning traditional skills which will enable them to secure a basic livelihood during adulthood. The statistic of human development and social provision further reviews that the population id Nigeria is increasingly becoming one of the whole: is in a vulnerable position. Osunde, 2006.
Poverty has risen in Nigeria with almost 100 million living on less than $1 a day despite the economic growth statistics have shown.

    The National Bureau of statistics said 60.9% of Nigerians in 2010 were living in “absolute poverty”
This figure has risen from 54.7% in 2004.
Nigeria’s population in Poverty
1980:17.1 million
1985:34.7 million
1992:39.2 million
1970:67.1 million
2010:112.47 million
(Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics).
Globally, poverty has been identified as the world’s biggest social problem. It is far becoming an endemic phenomenon, in that it would be said to be the root cause of child labour and female trafficking in Nigeria.  As a result of this, different poverty alleviation programmes has been initiated in the past and present by various governments in Nigeria, despite this poverty is still growing at an alarming rate.

There is this growing awareness that the lack of economic means of livelihood is the major factor responsible for the high prevalence of human trafficking in Edo State. Available data indicate that trafficking is more likely to affect girls who have dropped out of school for economic reasons, and therefore trafficking appears to be an alternative to the livelihood for them and their parents (Whare, 2000).
There is need to therefore carry out a study on the various poverty alleviation programmes and to find out their set goals and those factors that made these goals achievable.
1.2     STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
The different polices of government on the alleviation of poverty have not yield the desired result with the low pace of development and high level of poverty that has continued to characterize the living standard of over 70% of Nigeria’s population. Although successive governments in Nigeria have at one time or the other put up a lot of poverty alleviation programmes; but on assumption of power in 1999 by then government led by President Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, the World Bank’s reports indicated that Nigeria’s Human Development Index (H.D.I) was only 146 and that 70% of the population was vegetating bellow breadline (Internation Research Journalist of Finance and Economic Issue 2000). Some of the attempts made in the past to alleviate in poverty include the following: the first military regime of president, Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, saw to the launch of Operation Feed the Nation (O.F.N) between 1976-1979 with it focus on increasing food production. This was premised on the fact that improved nutrition would enhance healthy living on people.
The second republic president, Shehu Shagari between 1979-1983 introduced the Green Revolution Program (G.R.P) with focus on producing food for the nation and for export which was similar to that of his predecessors. Although General Muhammed Buhari who overthrew Shagari did not carry out any specific poverty alleviation, his emphasis on fighting corruption and indiscipline in the citizenry was expected to have some positive impact on poverty in the country as corruption and indiscipline remain two major cause of poverty in the country.
The most pronounced effort was during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida between 1985-1993, it was during this period that the first institutional structures and policy framework for poverty alleviation in the country were put in place. Most of these structures are still in place today through with modifications, in some cases among the structures put in place for poverty alleviation are the National Directorate of Employment(N.D.E) which was charged with the responsibility of fighting unemployment for school leavers. There was also an establishment of People’s Bank in Nigeria (P.B.N) to cater for the credit needs of the less privileged Nigerians. National Economic Reconstruction Funds (N.E.R.F.U.N.D) and community banks are all established for the provision of capital for funding small business without stringent collateral requirements.  Mrs. Maryam Babangida came up with Better Life Programme (B.L.F) between 1985-1993 for rural dwellers; it was meant to improve the life of rural women.  Osunde, 2006.
The Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (D.F.F.R.I) which was to focus on integrated rural development with emphasis on opening of fresh rural roads for easy contact by rural dwellers with urban centers. These projects have long been abandoned.
The regime of General Sanni Abacha did not record any major poverty reduction efforts as the country enjoyed near otal pariah status within the international community. However the spouse of military rulers also contributed to poverty alleviation in the country.
The Family Support programme (F.S.P) between1993-1997, initiated by Mrs. Mariam Abacha. The aimed at the establishment of Family Support Programme (F.S.P) were not different from that of the Better Life Programme (B.L.P) but because of the similarities in the nomenclature with the Better Life, it was latter changed to Family Economic Advancement programme (F.E.A.P). Mrs. Abacha wanted to flaunt a programme that will be legacy of her husband’s administration through her innovativeness. The focal point of this programme was the family in all it ramifications. Apart from complementing the efforts of their spouses, the programmes failed because it was led by position seeking individuals who used most of the resources for personal aggrandizement, rather than set objectives.
Other poverty alleviation programmes such as National Agricultural Land Development Agency (N.A. L. D. A), The Strategic Grains Reserve Agency (S.G.R.A) and The Accelerated Crop Production (A.C.P) were all established to improve the productive capacities for peasant famers as well as improving their income and well being.
However, with the return of democracy on May 29th 1999, the federal government under that leadership of President Olusegin Obasanjo embarked on poverty alleviation/reduction programmes. Specifically, the government has to put in place a National Poverty Eradication Programmes (N.A.P.E.P).  This laudable project was introduced as a replacement of previous programmes initiated by earlier regimes/governments in the likes of the National Accelerated Food Production Programme (N.A.F.P.P), Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (D.F.F.R.I) and Family Economic Advancement Programme (F.E.A.P) owing to their inadequacies. It was targeted at the complete eradication of poverty through empowerment of the prevalent group which is mostly the illiterate and rural population.
In 2002, the following programmes were aimed at eradicating abject poverty in Nigeria. National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (N.E.E.D.S) was geared towards alleviating poverty the national level and the Edo State Empowerment and Development Strategy (S.E.E.D.S) is a participatory approach of reducing poverty and a framework of actualizing the Millennium Development  Goals (M.D.Gs) in the state.
Following the failure of these poverty alleviation programs, is therefore necessary to ask:
1.    What impact has poverty alleviation programme had on the people of Ewu community of Esan Central Local Government Area?
2.    What is the level of awareness on poverty alleviation programmes in Ewu community?
1.3     OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
1.     To examine how the various poverty alleviation programmes have been able to impact on the socio-economic lives of the people of Ewu community.
2.     To examine how much the various poverty alleviation programmes initiated by government helped in the eradication of poverty in Ewu community.
3.     To determine how much the peopleof Ewu community are aware of the various poverty alleviation programmes embarked upon by government.
4.     To make suggestions on how to improve on the socio-economic lives of Ewu community.
1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The study was carried out to provide adequate information on how the various poverty alleviation programmes set up by government has helped in the eradication of poverty in Ewu community. It will also help to know how much people of Ewu community are aware of these programmes, and also help policies maker and the people of Ewu community to develop more positive attitude and actions towards the eradication of poverty in the community and Nigeria in general.
1.5     SCOPE OF STUDY
This study is a case study of Ewu community. In carrying out this study, the emphasis was on the State Economic Empowerment and Developing Strategy (S.E.E.D.S) and the study tried finding out how effective the program has been on the socio-economic lives of the people of Ewu community.