ERADICATING POVERTY; THE WAY FORWARD

NIGERIA, the “giant of Africa” with the highest number of population and mineral resources is also the home of abject poverty, with majority of the population in extreme poverty. The menace which is due to diverse reasons ranging from unemployment, corruption, bad leadership/followership, political, ethnic and social conflicts. Poverty is therefore seen as the identity of an average Nigerian. An average Nigerian do not have access to basic amenities, job opportunity etc. Poverty which is simply seen as lack of basic needs of life. Needs which include food, clothing and shelter. The country is seen to be growing in size everyday but the economy has refused to grow, it is therefore safe to say The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (S D G) to end extreme poverty by 2030 is unlikely to be met in Nigeria with the current increase in population and absurd decrease in economic strength to correspond the increase in population(Wikipedia). Political instability and corruption is a major cause of poverty in Nigeria, politicians go into public offices with the mindset of being served and fund embezzling not keeping in mind that anyone going into a public position is meant to serve the general populace and not the other way round. Of course, not every individual can be pleased, but the good of the state should be the motive of a leader(politician) . The current rise in cyber crime is also as a result of poverty, even though majority is due to greed, covetousness and laziness, the love for quick cash not minding the negative effect it may have on other citizens. We can not blame it all on poverty, yet poverty plays a major role. Imagine after going through school, many nights of empty stomach, graduating, job hunting and even if employed; getting underpaid. Employers expecting an employee to do the job of three individuals with a pay not worth it. Westernization also played a huge role in poverty increase majorly in the northern part of the country in reference to Almajiris which started around the 11^th century in Kanem-Borno. Its origin can be traced from the migration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. Those who migrated with the prophet to Medina were called ‘Al-Muhajirrun’, meaning migrants. In Nigeria, the word “Almajiri” means those who left their villages or town, parents, relations, and friends in search of Islamic religious knowledge and scholarship (Kabiru, 2010). It was later replicated in the Sokoto Caliphate after the triumph of the Jihad led by Sheikh Uthman Dan Fodio. Both empires not only promoted the scheme but also supported it with public finances. Asides the authorities’ recognition and promotion, the scheme also enjoyed the support of other major stakeholders, such as the community, the parents and the pupils themselves. Later on, the products of the system, were to form the group of elites that controlled various government organs and parastatals in the pre and post-colonial Northern Nigeria (Shittu & Olaofe, 2015). When the British colonized the northern part of the country in 1904, state funding of Almajiri school system, which they saw as mere religious schools was abolished and ‘boko’ which means western education was created and funded instead. These led to many of the almajiri’s teachers i.e the mallams loosing their jobs, as the only qualification to getting employment was through the newly introduced ‘boko’. As a result of these, the almajiris were sent out to beg for alms for survival since the burden of catering for them had become overbearing due to lack of funding by the government. The present day almajiris are always seen singing and begging for food and money in almost all states of the federation which has contributed highly to poverty increase in the country.

To alleviate poverty, the following has to happen…….

## Investment in Education: Education is one of the ways through which poverty can be curtailed in Nigeria . Awolowo once said “the children of the poor you refuse to educate will not let your children rest”. The positive impact of education can not be over looked. Education is an eye opener and to a large extent changes human ways of reasoning and reaction to situations. The educational system in Nigeria should be re-engineered to prepare students for real life outside the four walls of the school. It should be in such a way that with a secondary school certificate, one can survive and live unlike what we have now that some secondary school leavers can hardly speak good English which is Nigeria’s Lingua Franca. The government should spend more money on rehabilitating the horrible state of education as we have in Nigeria public primary, secondary and tertiary institutions today.

## Investment in Rural areas: (Urban-Rural migration) As a matter of policy the government should develop infrastructure in the rural areas. Government should stimulate the economy through infrastructural development like roads from rural areas that will aid the smooth transportation of farm goods from the rural areas to the cities. Developing amenities in the rural areas will encourage people to stay in the rural areas to farm and not rush to the cities to look for white collar jobs. The government can provide rails and water transportation. This will create activities that will have ripple effect on the economy. Government can do better by supporting agriculture in terms of grants, loans, extension services, training and promote cooperative among farmers to upgrade their farming system as long as it will get to the farmers. More often than not, farmers remain short changed.

## Mentoring of younger generation: There is the need for mentoring of younger generation to guide their actions and for all those that need some form of guidance. Meanwhile, many of the younger generation have lost their values. The challenge, however is to raise their psyche for positive adaptation.

## Proper Fight against corruption: The major problem in Nigeria is corruption in high places as well as the corruption of our morals and conscience as a nation. If those in Government can come together and decide to stop corruption then the country will move forward and the resources of the nation will be judiciously used for the entire populace. When a senator would know that it is the poverty of the mind to own 50 houses in Abuja why people in his or her local government and Nigeria at large are suffering. It is when stealing fund meant to provide infrastructure and amenities are not stolen but used for the purpose they were meant for that the kind of change we need will begin to materialized. Corruption is a cancer that has eaten deep into the Nigerian polity. The cure however, is not inorganic, it needs outright proscription and execution of culprits.

In conclusion, poverty can not be completely eradicated but can be alleviated and it can only be possible if we all alleviate the poverty which had beclouded our mentality and has reflected in our actions.