Vocational education, poverty and inequality reduction in Post COVID Nigeria

Abstract

Poverty and inequality reduction lies at the peak of the global development challenges and as a result, efforts are being put in place by  state and non-state actors to combat this phenomenon. Literature shows that Nigeria was among countries that showed tens of millions  more people living in absolute poverty in 2005 (headcount at 33million) than in 1981 (headcount at 88 million); and with a poverty ratio of  47.2% in 1981 and 62.4% in 2005. And as a result of the rise in poverty headcount, Nigeria had a toxic combination of low growth in  GDP per capita (0.7 percent per year), and a rise in consumption inequality. Likewise, Nigeria’s inequality rate has always been  disheartening, data reveals that it worsened between 2004 and 2013 but improved in 2016. In 2018, out of 178 countries studied by  United Nations Human Development Index, Nigeria occupies 156th position, placing her at the bottom of the HDI ranking for that year.  This paper therefore critically analyses poverty and inequality in Nigeria, taking into consideration the reasons for the constant rise in  Nigeria’s poverty and Inequality figures. The paper further outlines the benefits of Vocational Education in the development of societies. Finally, the paper recommends improvement in Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) system as it would help to combat poverty and  inequality in Nigeria.