ERADICATING POVERTY IN AFRICA

Poverty is generally considered as the state of being poor: conditions of abject, extreme poverty, which has been on the increase in Africa, with particular reference to Northern Nigeria (with diseases like polio, measles and leprosy being pandemic and of course street begging on the increase).
Aloku (1975) and Townsend (1962) refers to poverty as a lack of command over basic consumption needs, which means, in other words, that there is an inadequate level of consumption giving rise to insufficient food, clothing and or shelter, and moreover the lack of certain capacities, such as being able to participate with dignity in society, which Dudley (1975) submits that there is the need for personal growth in Nigeria.
The point related to the sociological event is that poverty has equally been defined as the inability to attain a minimum standard of living (World Bank Report, 1990). Poverty has also been conceptualized in both the “relative” and “absolute” sense. And again Dudley (1975) sees poverty largely in the light of the need for personal growth in Nigeria.
The report constructed two indices based on a minimum level of consumption in order to show the practical aspect of the concept. The first index was based on country specific poverty line, and the second was global, allowing cross country comparisons (Walton, 1990).
This is generally based on whether relative or absolute standards are adopted in the determination of the minimum income required to meet the basic life’s necessities. The relative conceptualization of poverty is largely income-based or ultimately so. Townsend (1962:210-270) explains that, poverty depicts a situation in which a given material means of sustenance within a given society is hardly enough for subsistence in that society. However in Nigeria, the prevalence of both relative and absolute poverty is real and even mentioned in various National Development Plans (1975, 1980). Poverty scourge received a further boost during the 1975 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) and during the 1997 Annual Conference of the same Annual Conference of the Nigeria Economic Society (NES).
According to him, the basic needs, which any society should provide for its members should include such things as food, clothing, shelter, education, health, work and mobility. Dudley provides some basic indicators of the state of basic services especially in relation to the poor in Nigeria. The overview covered the general adverse situation in the rural and urban areas, inequality, potable water supply, and he also refers to issues of nutrition. For instance. It was stated that 30 percent of the households in Oyo State are malnourished. He also stated that in Lagos State more than 72 percent of the households live in one-room house. He also highlighted that access to health services may vary from two-third of the population in the South to one-third in the North. In Northern Nigeria, Poverty can not be eradicated consudering the following mitigating factors: The dominant religious belief (Islam), which limits access of especially female to get engaged in meaningful employment, the volume of street begging keep increasing due to the prevailing Al-Majeri educational system (Quranic educational system, which operates homeless and mobile indoctrinations) and the class differential between bogouise and the proliterat, which continue to create barriers.
Poverty is adjudged as a state of being poor. A situation where there is lack of command over basic consumption needs. For example, access to good food, clothing or shelter which results in dwindling status of human dignity in a society.

Poverty has been defined as the inability to attain a minimum standard of living, conceptualized in both the relative and absolute sense and largely seen in the light of the need for personal growth in Nigeria.
However in Northern Nigeria, Poverty can not be eradicated due to some pressing mitigating factors which include, the belief system (Islam) which has placed female in denial position to get meaningful employment, the volume of street begging is on the increase, and the class differential between the rich and the poor which continue to create a gap.