PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF THE NATIONAL SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES – NSIP)

ABSTRACT The study examine the problems and prospects of poverty alleviation programmes in Nigeria. This specific objectives of the study are: to examine how the National Social Investment Programme has affected the lives of Nigerians, to ascertain the problems of the National Social Investment Programme of Nigerians, to explore the prospects of the National Social Investment Programme in the reduction of poverty in Nigerians, and to determine the extent poor design, formulation and implementation of policies on National Social Investment Programme have affected reduction of poverty in Nigerians. The design adopted in this study is descriptive survey research design. Then the population of the study was 120 while the sample size is 92. Chi-square statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses in this study. The following were the findings of this study: there was positive effect of National Social Investment Programme on the lives of Nigerians: there was also problems of the National Social Investment Programme of Nigerians; there was positive prospects of the National Social Investment Programme in the reduction of poverty in Nigerians; there was poor design, formulation and implementation of policies on National Social Investment Programme have affected reduction of poverty in Nigerians and the study recommended the following: in view of this, harmonization of programs is inevitable. Going by the Nigeria experience, the study suggests that the federal government should establish an agency or a ministry with the objective of executing poverty alleviation related programs in the country. This would guarantee that successive government does not discard their predecessors program, rather, add their own suggestion (still under the same umbrella) and all programs would run concurrently to ensure that all target audiences are reached. The agency should house all the poverty alleviation programs. Units/sections should be created to monitor each of the programs according to their peculiarity. By so doing, programs will be able to stand on the premise of the housing agency and as such, might not necessarily fizzle out with government of the day. Even when a program is having conflicting objective, it can easily be harmonized, since they are all premised on the same foundation. The agency should also align with international agencies of relevant purposes. This will ensure continuity of future programs. Similarly, the activities of the programs can be adequately monitored, assess and evaluated. Also, it will give room for accountability in terms of financing and performance.