Progress towards achieving the United Nations' first Millennium Development Goal: an analysis of income and food poverty in Nigeria's states of Osun and Jigawa

This study investigates the levels and determinants of income and food poverty in Nigeria’s States of Osun and Jigawa to assess the progress towards attaining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals’(MDGs) targets on poverty reduction in these states in order to verify claims of previous studies and analyses regarding these. The study uses both the individual and the family household in both Osun and Jigawa States of Nigeria as its units of analysis and employs the mixed-method research, comprising both the quantitative and qualitative methods. It collects its quantitative data relying on administration of questionnaires and collects its qualitative data relying on organization of Focus Group Discussions. Six hypotheses are tested by the study to investigate the likely association between the gender, age, educational attainment, and employment status of the family household head, family household size and family household geographical location (independent variables) and income and food poverty (dependent variables). The study analyzes its quantitative data using the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) Poverty Headcount Ratio and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and it analyzes its qualitative data using tape-based and note-based analyses. Findings of the qualitative element of this research hugely reveal that in general, the levels of income and food poverty in the study areas are high. These findings are confirmed by the findings of the quantitative elements of the research which reveal that at the individual level, Osun and Jigawa States have income poverty rates of 62.6% and 70% respectively based on the international market exchange rate; and that based on the PPP exchange rate, Osun and Jigawa States have income poverty rates of 37.7% and 42% respectively. These findings reveal that the levels of income and food poverty in the two states are both high and moderate based on the exchange rates used as yardsticks for measurement of income and food poverty in the states, thereby suggesting that the progress towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) targets on poverty reduction is both positive and negative.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

mphil

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Nottingham Trent University

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Lawson, PS

Language dc:language

en