Tackling Poverty for Achieving Sustainable National Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Decades after Nigeria attained statehood, poverty still stares many Nigerians menacingly in the face. It has assumed unprecedented and unacceptable proportions. Manifesting not only in abysm declines in economic indicators but more glaringly and tragically in the suffering and general impoverishment of the vast majority of the people; hunger, diseases and other social quagmire have now become a life style of many Nigerians. Efforts by successive governments to tackle the scourge & poverty appeared to stress the pursuit of high growth rate in statistical terms and failed to reduce to social and economic deprivation of substantial number of people. Sustainable development implies equitable and balance development that take into cognizance the interest of different groups within and among generations in four major areas: social, economic, political and environmental. The paper discusses the tackling of poverty as sin qua non for attaining sustainable national development It concludes that government needs to implement policies and strategies that promote adequate levels of funding and focus on integrated human development policies.