An ASSESSMENT OF THE NATIONAL POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMME (NAPEP) IIN NIGERIA A STUDY OF BAYELSA STATE

Abstract

Generally, poverty has become a major developmental challenge in Nigeria, right from the statehood of the Nation. Nigeria is a nation endowed with enormous mineral resources yet over 95 million Nigerians are still living in object poverty, which makes the poverty situation of Nigeria very paradoxical. Given this backdrop, this paper assesses the National Poverty Eradication Programmes (NAPEP), with reference to Bayelsa State. It employs the structural functional theory and adopted qualitative research with specific reference to relevant journal articles, text books, internet and other archives. Thus, content analysis was utilized to unravel the nexus between NAPEP and poverty in Bayelsa state, and Nigeria at large. The paper found that though NAPEP made a little impact in the lives of beneficiaries during its operation its objective of poverty eradication was not achieved. It therefore recommended among others that there should be a competent and unbiased monitoring team put in place by the Bayelsa State Government to ensure the proper implementation and success of subsequent poverty eradication programmes.