Perception of Poverty by Women and Men and Their Coping Strategies
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study The study seeks:
- To investigate the perception of men and women of poverty and the causes of poverty in the Uyo Municipality.
- To examine whether there are anystrategies adopted by the poor and their households in coping with poverty in the Uyo Municipality.
- To assess some of the social interventions implemented by the Government aimed at alleviating poverty and their impact on the urban poor in the Municipality.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Concept of Poverty
As a dynamic concept, its meaning and how it is perceived have undergone several changes with time. These have culminated in different and expanded applications and ramifications. Therefore, there is no universally accepted definition of it. However, certain salient features appear to characterize most of the existing definitions, measurements and causes. Some of them, especially those of Townsend (1974), Chambers (1983) and Sen (1984) which have been found to be very insightful and relevant for this discourse, are reviewed below.
Townsend (1974) regards poverty as consisting of subsistence, inequality and externality. He explained that subsistence is concerned with the minimum provision needed to maintain health and working capacity while inequality represents the relative position of income groups to each other, indicating further that poverty is concerned with how the “bottom layers” fare in relation to the rest of the society. He further explains that externality, is the social consequences of poverty for the rest of the society. This implies that poverty is a societal problem. This latter viewpoint however, contrasts sharply with those of Morril. A (1973) who have reasoned that poverty is the outcome of the inability of certain sections of the society (at individual levels), to compete successfully in a competitive world.
Chamber‟s (1983) notion of poverty centers on the dual clusters of political economy and physical ecology. He views the concept in terms of the deprivation of many at the expense of the affluent few on one hand, and the reduced standards of living resulting from population explosion and poor resource management on the other hand.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The data collected for the study was both qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative data was collected through observations of informal interactions with the individuals mostly, truck pushers, head porters (kayaayo) market women etc. The quantitative data was mainly gathered through the administration of questionnaires. The respondents to the questionnaires were mainly individuals and households as well as Assembly Officials of the Government. This is because households are direct beneficiaries of poverty alleviation programmes and Assembly Officials are involved in the implementation of these programmes and can best describe the impact of these progrmmes on the urban poor in the Municipality.
The research is essentially a case study. A case study involves detailed investigation and allows the researcher to analyze the variables relevant to the subject being studied. Thus, there was detailed study of the living standards of individuals and household and how they cope with poverty as well as analysis of the interventions by the Government to alleviate poverty.
Study Population
The population of the study is approximately 147,301 which is the population of Uyo Municipality. The target population was individuals and households as well as Officials involved in the implementation of Poverty alleviation programmes at the Government.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Analysis and discussion of Individual/ Household questionnaires
Sex Distribution of Respondents
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
The purpose of this study was to examine poverty in the Uyo Municipality and to find out the strategies adopted by the poor and their households to cope with poverty. It was observed that though poverty in Nigeria is a rural phenomenon (NSS 2000a), the issue of poverty in Nigeria has attracted attention from scholar‟s especially social scientists as the major cities of the country face serious challenges of population growth and poverty.
Uyo Municipality is no exception.
The study sought to investigate the peoples understanding and causes of poverty in the Municipality. The study revealed that at least all respondents have attended school up to elementary level and perceive poverty with features of insanitary conditions, lack of accommodation, low level of empowerment and incomes. The study revealed that 75% of the respondents still dispose of waste by use of damping site (boola), 40% of respondents use KVIP toilet facility and only 16% of respondents own their accommodation. Also 20% of respondents earn between 50-100 cedis a month.Moreso,25% of respondents believe that people live in conditions of social deprivation because of laziness and lack of will power whereas 22.5% believe is because there is much injustice in the society. The survey results therefore support this objective.
The study also was to investigate the strategies adopted by the poor and their households in coping with poverty in the Municipality. By pooling resources, by working in both formal and informal economies, by the construction of shelter, by self provisioning, and by the skilful use of social networks, families avoid entrapment in a self-perpetuating culture of poverty (Roberts 1994).
The study results reinforced this view, thus 25% of respondents cope with the poverty situation by supplementing their needs with family support, with 45% employing both multiple membership in ethnic and religious associations and orthodox/unorthodox means. More so 30% do so by patronizing street food vendors. The study revealed that with accommodation about
95% of respondents rent it whilst only 16% own them. Also, with toilet facility only 20% use WC whilst 80% cope with pit latrine, KVIP etc. With access to portable water almost 60% cope with well, spring etc whereas only 40% use pipe borne water. The survey results therefore support the objective above. The study sought to find out the social interventions implemented by the Government towards alleviating poverty and their impact on the urban poor in the Municipality. The study revealed that the Nigeria School Feeding Programme, National Health Insurance Scheme and National Youth Employment Programme were among these interventions. The NSFP covers Nineteen (19) schools in the Municipality with a population of about 11,195 and has resulted in tremendous increase in enrolment in these schools. Also the NHIS beneficiaries in the Municipality rose from 179,064 in 2009 to 229,700 in 2010, a percentage increase of 28%.More residents can now access good healthcare.
Furthermore the NYEP At the end of 2010, registered 1250 youth. Majority of the youth have their livelihood from this programme. These have increased the standard of living of the poor in the Municipality. The survey results therefore support the main objectives of this study.
Conclusion
In recent decades the issue of poverty in Nigeria has attracted attention from both managers of cities and scholar‟s especially social scientists, as the major cities of the country face serious challenges of population and poverty. Poverty in Akwa Ibom state in general and Uyo Municipality in particular is so pronounced that one can literally see it from the daily lives of men and women. A family in Uyo Municipality may take “ampesie” as their breakfast. For lunch, they may have to take“abetee” and “fufu” for supper. Other indicators of poverty in the Uyo Municipality include high illiteracy rate, high population growth rate, poor water and insanitary conditions, Malnutrition and child labour.
As a result of these, the inhabitants of the Municipality adopt several strategies to cope with the poverty situation. These problems have therefore necessitated a study on the examination of men and women and individual livelihood strategies in the Uyo Municipality.
The main objective of this study was to examine the household and individual livelihood strategies in coping with poverty in the Uyo Municipality of Akwa Ibom state.
Specifically, it was to investigate the perception of men and women of poverty and the causes of poverty in the Uyo Municipality. The study also sought to investigate whether there are any
strategies adopted by the poor and their households in coping with poverty in the Uyo Municipality.
More so, the study found out some of the social interventions implemented by the Uyo
Government aimed at alleviating poverty and their impact on the urban poor in the Municipality.
The approach and scope of the study is dictated by the objectives of coping with poverty under scrutiny on one hand, and the study area on the other. While the geographical coverage of the study is confined to the Uyo Municipality, content wise its scope is limited to social and economic impact assessment of poverty in the Municipality
The research is essentially a case study. Thus, there was detailed study of the living standards of individuals and household and how they cope with poverty as well as analysis of the interventions by the Government to alleviate poverty.In all Two hundred (200) individuals and households including Officials of Government were considered for the study.
Cluster and systematic sampling was used to select the individuals and households. Purposive and Convenience sampling methods as well as participant observation was also used. Convenient sampling was used in selecting individuals whereas purposive sampling was used in selecting Government officials.
Recommendations
To reduce poverty, the Government need to synchronize its poverty alleviation programmes with that of the Central Government as stipulated in the GPRS 1&2 and the Millennium Development Goals. Thus in the preparation of annual action plans, the Assembly should inculcate that of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development into its plans since they all hope to reduce poverty.
Furthermore, the very philosophy of the local government system of Nigeria which is to enhance the participation of the citizens of the communities in decisions affecting their lives should be adhered to. Needs assessment through regular interactions of Assembly members with their constituents will bring to the fore the people‟s needs so as to provide them.
The root cause of poverty should be tackled by conscientising the residents on the consequences of poverty in their earlier years in school. This will give the people the necessary knowledge and skills so as to improve their living standards reduce poverty.
The Government should increase its poverty alleviation funds such as Livelihood Empowerment Programme (LEAP), NHIS etc to cover a wide range of beneficiaries. This will lessen the burden of the underprivileged and will enable them have access to good health care and education.
Lastly, there is the need for the Planning Department of Govermment to do regular monitoring and evaluation exercise on beneficiaries of poverty funds to keep track of progress or otherwise of the fight against poverty.
More research is required on what constitutes successful sustainable poverty reduction. Definitions on sustainable poverty reduction vary depending on the development priority of the research. Being able to define poverty reduction theory and practice from an academic perspective would add tangible value to international and Nigeria development agenda, as this is mainly defined and driven through a political agenda.
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