Poverty Alleviation and Employment Scenario in Nigeria

IntroductionGlobal ContextThe most challenging development issues confronting African countries with the advent of this millennium are poverty and employment. These issues have therefore occupied prime spots today in each African country's development agenda. The global response to the employment poverty challenge which started in the 90s has been sustained. Poverty and employment crisis are serious issues affecting developing economies.The World Bank Development Report (1990) on Poverty stated that 'the most pressing issue facing the developing community is how to reduce poverty'. The World Bank Development Report (2000/2001), attacking poverty stated that poverty amidst plenty is the World's greatest challenge.The menace of poverty and employment though global, is the most devastating in Africa. Human conditions in most of the African countries have greatly deteriorated, particularly during the last decade. Real disposable incomes have declined steeply, malnutrition rates have risen sharply, food production has hardly kept pace with population growth, and the quantity and quality of health and education services have also deteriorated. The present trend of socio-economic conditions in the world needs to be redressed towards better development plans as the twentyfirst century begins hence policies and programmes aimed at addressing this double headed hydra must be reviewed by relevant bodies. Although what constitutes development is debatable (Ohiorhenuan, 1984), its core element is the continuous promotion of the welfare and standard of living of the people.With the Social Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, United Nations development agencies have gradually reviewed their programmes in response to the challenge of global employment and poverty crisis. As a follow up to the Summit eight sets of millennium development goals (MDGs) were identified. These were to: eradicate extreme hunger and poverty; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop global partnership for development. The various UN agencies have since been working on their respective programmes to meet the 18 targets as captured by 40 indicators of achievement.The International Labour Organization (ILO) in pursuit of its mandates on employment and poverty issues have taken many initiatives to follow up on various post-Copenhagen Summit and related agenda. It has for instance: (1) launched the Decent Work Agenda (2) given strong support to the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which will shape the course of gender equality and the role of women in the twenty-first century by launching 'More and Better Jobs for Women' as the focus of its technical cooperation and programmes, and (3) given support for Africa's employment and poverty agenda through initiating the 'Jobs in Africa (JIA) programme (1998-2001)' and elaborating this support presently through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).However, within the African continent the institutional response to the challenge of poverty emerged by the convening of the erstwhile organization of Africa unity heads of state and government's ministerial conference on employment and poverty reduction following the launching of new partnership for Africa's development (NEPAD) in 2001. Since then, series of OAU (AU) ministerial conferences have been held on 'Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa' at various locations and times. Public policies consist of actions taken to achieve certain goals (Gulhati, 1990). If development plan is to be effective, they should be focused on a specific target population. Since the benefit of general development policies take long time to trickle down to the poor, a development plan to be effective, they should be focused on a specific target identified as a variety of income generating activities, many of which are of recent origin and reflect the state of unemployment/underemployment in the population. …