Increase of Extreme Poverty and Hunger in the context of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria: Explanations and Framework for improvement

Abstract

This article questions the failing capacity of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to halve extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015 in Nigeria. In this regards, it attributes the increase in the number of Nigerian living in extreme poverty and hunger to state capitalism and class politics in the programme implementation. For this reason and as the report of harmonized Nigeria Living Standard survey (HNLSS,2010)  shows, there is  increase of   69% of Nigerians (112 million persons) in the estimated population of 163 million Nigerians  living in  poverty  despite  the efforts of MDGs .This against the background of the 54.4% representing 68 million in the estimated population of 123million Nigerians  living in poverty according to  harmonized Nigeria Living Standard survey report (2004).Considering these, an alternative framework for addressing the challenges of  eradicating extreme poverty; the protective-empowerment framework is introduced and   recommended as a guide  for implementation of  pro-policy  in Nigeria and developing Nations.