POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA (AN ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMME (NAPEP) IN ADO-ODO OTA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OGUN STATE)

This study examines Policy Implementation and Rural Poverty Reduction in Nigeria (An Analysis of National Poverty Eradication Programme in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Ogun State). This becomes imperative in view of the growing incidence of poverty and underdevelopment in the rural areas in Nigeria and government’s inability to tackle the problem. The rural dwellers are facing many challenges such as ill-health, poor education, lack of basic infrastructure and opportunities, natural disasters and economic upheaval as well as crime and violence due to neglect and inconsistence in the poverty reduction policies and programmes over the years. The study makes use of primary and secondary data. Questionnaires were administered and analyzed. The findings reveal that there have been constraints in policy implementation in Nigeria such as: unrealistic goal setting, corruption, lack of consideration of socio political environment and lack of participation of target beneficiary in policy decisions. NAPEP is constrained by these problems, which is why it could not make much impact in the rural areas. The study therefore, recommends that government should show more sincerity and commitment to rural poverty reduction through effective policy implementation. This can be achieved if policies and programmes are made relevant to the rural people through their participation in the determination of their needs, bridging the gap between the intention and the actual implementation of policy and realistic goal setting. Attention should also be paid to checking corruption and ensuring transparency and accountability. This will reduce policies’ failures and bring about the desired development in the rural areas in Nigeria