Evolving Poverty Profile and the Millenium Development Goals in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examines evolving poverty profile and the challenges of actualizing the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. It is a shocking paradox that a significant proportion of Nigerias population is poor despite its enormous wealth. Situating the discourse within the positive feedback and the culture of poverty framework, the paper maintains that poverty breeds poverty in Nigeria and this metamorphosed in a force of culture which is transmitted from one generation to another. This culture is further reinforced and sustained by bad governance, corruption, unemployment and impotent poverty reduction programmes. Given the rising poverty profile, the Nigerian government keyed into the Millennium Development Goals-a new global partnership to eradicate extreme poverty and its correlates poverty by 2015. It is disheartening to note that with eleven years of implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, poverty still persists. This no doubt, poses a threat to the realization of the MDGs. The paper recommends the formulation and implementation of policies that can overcome the institutional constraints that militate against actualization of the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty in Nigeria within the targeted time frame.

Keywords: Nigeria, poverty profile, development, goals, corruption, bad governance.