KNOWLEDGE OF PARENTAL POVERTY ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN IN IGBO-EZE SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE

The parental poverty and its effect on the growth and development of children has been the focus of governmental policies for many years. Indeed, in Africa and Asia, several strategies have been employed for this purpose and with minimal success. Poverty can be defined as the state of being poor, or a lack of something, (Morrison, 2003) Parental poverty is seen as the mother of social problems. In Nigeria, about 80% of her population is poor. Parental poverty is measured not only in terms of income but rather as a level of capability deprivation, the inability of parents to pursue a meaningful life of their children. Following this definition, so many Nigerians are suffering every day from hand to mouth in the country. The process of social reproduction had made it impossible for the poor livelihood of the country to be redeemed. The structure is so corrupt with public officials embezzling public funds for their betterment, and their generation unborn. (Maccoby 2013). The national poverty reduction strategy indicates that although there have been a number of social safety nets, income transfer programmes for the poor and the disadvantaged, access to basic services by a significant proportion of the population, there is still a high level of poverty. There is a need to take even more rigorous steps to prevent or redress the situations. This is in view of the emerging challenging problems of the society we live in today. It is believed that sustainable poverty reduction can be achieved through a purposeful and strategic development of all people. To this end, a continual positive development of children in and out of school would help in bringing up individuals, who are responsible in the changing world.