Public Sector Intervention, Economic Growth and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria

This study evaluates the issues of public sector intervention, economic growth and poverty alleviation programs in Nigeria, using secondary data covering the period 1960-2000. The study found that, economic growth in Nigeria was actually weakly pro-poor. And inopportunely, those who are far above the poverty line are the ones really enjoying the benefits of growth and the poverty alleviating programs in Nigeria, while those who are far below the poverty line kept on plummeting into more poverty. For the rural-urban dichotomy, economic growth in rural areas was slightly more pro-poor than in urban areas. The overall growth in Nigeria is not necessarily always pro-poor and thus has not contributed much to poverty alleviation, despite all the programs put in place by the federal government.