IMPACT OF MICROCREDIT SCHEME AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION: A STUDY OF NIGER STATE

Abstract

This study empirically examines the impact of microcredit scheme and
youth empowerment programs on poverty alleviation in Niger state-Nigeria.
The study adopts a quantitative method using PLS-SEM 3.0 path modeling
to establish the statistical relationship between two government anti-poverty
programs (microcredit scheme and youth empowerment) on poverty
alleviation. The study reveals that there is a significant relationship between
the two government intervention programs and poverty alleviation. The
socio-economic status of the respondents also justified the above
hypothesis. Based on the findings there are tendencies for the intervention
programs to alleviate poverty in Nigeria, concertedly effort need to be made
by all relevant stakeholders involved in designing a well-defined policy
framework that is capable of enhancing transparency and accountability in
the policy implementations of the programs. The paper attributed the
persistent poverty rate in the Niger state to systemic failures which include
abuse of the rule of law, corruption, political instability, inadequate
budgetary allocation among others. The study recommends for combined
efforts among all the stakeholders, and a well-planned policy framework in
order to evaluate the significant and the insignificant of the programs,
lastly, there is a need for adequate provision of budgetary allocation to
poverty alleviation related agencies for the successful implementations of
the programs in Nigeria.