Poverty in Nigeria and the MDGS Era: The Case of Cross River State

Abstract

Poverty in Nigeria does not seem to abate despite the many programmes adopted by the federal government to tackle the scourge. The United Nations declaration in year 2000 of eight millennium development goals with the eradication of poverty and hunger as its topmost priority came in handy. Nigeria being a member of the United Nations started implementation of the framework of the goals by the formulation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), Poverty Eradication Programme (PEP), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), etc. This paper examines the role of the MDGs in fighting poverty with particular interest in Cross River State of Nigeria and concludes that policies for the eradication of poverty in Nigeria should not only be declarative, but backed with concerted efforts and enough political will to tackle it. Sadly, the paper however noted that the15 year duration deadline to achieve the target did not yield much success and lamented the absence of tackling terrorism and global warming in the Millennium Development Goals. The study appreciates the post 2015 development agenda  set up in 2012 to design a workable post MDG development strategy that will work universally and recommends that Nigeria key effectively into it while fighting corruption head-on.