Poverty reduction strategies and programs: the Nigeria’s experience

Abstract

Poverty reduction is one of the most important issues in the global development agenda because of its high prevalence and vicious effects in less developed countries. Nigeria represents the largest economy in Africa and one of the biggest producers of crude oil in the world, yet the country is counted amongst the poorest countries in the world. This paper reviews the poverty reduction strategies and programs in Nigeria using the historical research design. The paper concludes that poverty reduction programs in Nigeria have not been effective due to policy inconsistency and the lack of coordination between the federal government and the sub-national governments in policy design and implementation.

Keywords: Poverty; Poverty reduction; Development; Nigeria