Project Proposal : Public Policy And Grass Root Development In Nigeria (A Critical Appraisal Of National Poverty Eradication Programme On Essien Udim L. G. A Of Akwa Ibom State)

Background Of The Study

National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) is a 2001 program by the Nigerian government aiming at poverty reduction , in particular, reduction of absolute poverty. NAPEP goals include training youths in vocational trades, to support internship, to support micro-credit, create employment in the automobile industry, as well as helping VVF patients.

Grassroots public policy development involves local engagement that is generally contrary to top-down approaches. It occurs when the problem and the solution are defined by the active local parties rather than imposed from outside. Public policy determines whether a new library is built — and where — and how a new clinic for homeless people is funded — or not. It even determines to a large degree who has access to communication services and who has the right to control them. Although it is often "public policy" which silently promotes or discourages certain public actions, the development, maintenance, use, and, often, the very existence of the "public policy" is about as far from "public" as can be imagined.

Poverty in Nigeria remains significant despite high economic growth. Nigeria has one of the world's highest economic growth rates (averaging 7.4% over the last decade), a well-developed economy, and plenty of natural resources such as oil. However, it retains a high level of poverty, with 63% living on less than $1 per day, implying a decline in equity. There have been governmental attempts at poverty alleviation, of which the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and National Poverty Eradication Council (NAPEC) are the most recent ones.

NAPEP and NAPEC coordinate and oversee various other institutions, including ministries, and develop plans and guidelines for them to follow with regards to poverty reduction.The program is seen as an improvement over the previous Nigerian government poverty-reduction programmes. According to a 2008 analysis, the program has been able to train 130,000 youths and engaged 216,000 people , but most of the beneficiaries were non-poor.







Statement Of The Problem
Today, poverty is widely addressed as a global problem. Poverty affects over four billion people. It is important to know that most of the poor people live in the developing worlds of Africa, Asia and Latin America (Gbosi 2004). On the average 45-50 percent of sub- Saharan Africans live below the poverty line. And in Nigeria about 43% of the population was living below the poverty line of N305 a year in 1985 prices, (World Bank, 1996). This figure has been purging upwards to over 60% in recent time. Poverty is indeed a global problem. To this effect the United Nations declared 1996 the international year of eradication of poverty and 1997-2006 a decade of poverty eradication. In pursuance of this target, government in both developed and developing countries became increasingly aware of the poverty problem and several development efforts to alleviate poverty therefore have been embarked upon world-wide. There is a high incidence of poverty in Nigeria today. Especially, the incidence of poverty is very high among the unemployed, the uneducated women and rural dwellers (Gbosi 2004). In 1980, the poverty level was only 28.1% but by 1996 it had jumped to 66.6%. Having been mindful of the implications to the economy, the government needs to make concerted efforts in order to reduce poverty in the country. This is because a high incidence of poverty is not good for the health of a developing country like Nigeria. A review of the economic history of Nigeria shows that successive governments have expressed concern of the need to alleviate poverty in the country leading to the formulation of different "public policies" geared towards poverty alleviation and eradication.

Ironically, public policy development is very unpublic. It's often silent, invisible, and developed "behind the scene." This results in poor public policy that favors narrow interests and blocks progress. As power and wealth become more concentrated, wealthy people and institutions become more and more dominant in the policy arena. When that happens, local and marginalized voices are not heard; people feel disempowered and disengage further from the political process. "Ordinary" people generally stay far from the public policy arena. They feel isolated and are unaware that others are striving towards positive change. When there are public policy successes, they're not often shared with other communities and the people at the grassroots who enter the public policy arena often must needlessly reinvent the wheel.


Objectives Of The Study

Broadly, the objective of this Literature is to examine the impact of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) as a public policy on Nigeria's development. Though this study uses Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as a case study, the conclusions derived can in some cases be used to generalize on its impact on the whole country. The specific objectives include:

a. To access whether National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) has achieved its objectives of poverty eradication in Nigeria.

b. To identify areas of deficiencies, problems and failures, and proffer some policy
recommendations based on the findings of this study.

c. To access the level of impact of government policies on rural communities beaming the searchlight on Essien Udim.

Significance Of The Study
To the masses this research work intends to publicise the activities and programmes of NAPEP, and how it has affected the well being of the people of Essien Udim as well as the wwel being of Nigerians as a whole.
To the Government and Policy-makers, it will
identify and reveal the successes and failures, challenges and prospects of NAPEP and affords them the opportunity of designing and implementing a holistic approach, procedures and strategies and better ways of tackling the hydra- headed menace called, poverty.
Also to the students and fellow researchers, it will reveal the operations and the impact of NAPEP on the people. While it serves as an addition to the stock of knowledge, it also serves as a basis for further research.