IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

IIARD International Journal of Economics and Business Management (IJEBM )

E-ISSN 2489-0065
P-ISSN 2695-186X
VOL. 2 NO. 3 2016

---

Self-Employment as a Strategy for Poverty Reduction: Empirical Evidence from Benue State

Dr. Sunday Edesiri Akiri, Odike Abraham Ijuo and Maria Peace Apochi

---

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the place of self-employment on the reduction of poverty in Benue State. The study adopted a multistage sampling procedure in which three Local Government Areas, one from each of the three senatorial districts in the state were selected in the first stage, and 150 (50 from each Local Government Areas) respondents were purposively sampled to form the population of study. Data were collected with the use of structured questionnaire and analyzed using qualitative statistical tools (simple percentages and tables) and quantitative tool of Logistic Regression Model to estimate the impact of self-employment on poverty reduction. It was found out that self-employment is a veritable strategy for poverty reduction in the economy of the State. The study also found out that while self-employment has significantly helped in poverty reduction, its impact has not been able to translate to the desired higher living standards as measured by specific socioeconomic variables that are expected to show higher living standards among households. It was also found that the growth of self-employment in the area is hampered by a number of factors including absence and poor electricity supply, poor patronage, multiple levies from the government, lack of funds, etc. The study therefore recommends amongst other things that government, NGOs or groups join hands in promoting the growth of self- employment via provision of electricity, encouraging the consumption of locally made products, granting soft loans with little or zero interest rate, for government to reduce the rate of levies imposed on them, etc. This will guarantee speedy alleviation of poverty in the State and Nigeria as a whole

---

References:

Aayongo, C. T. (2004). Work; Essentials Calling of the Human Being; Makurdi, An Act of God
Publications.

Ade Ogunsanya and Olu Akinsoji (1999). The Manpower Capacity Analysis and Development Plan for
the Maritime Industry of Nigeria. http://employmentclinic.net/2014/02/02/emplotmentt-
opportunities-in-the-maritime-industry-of-nigeria/

Adegun, Olajire Adeola and AKomolafe, Olufunke Comfort (2013). Entrepreneurship education and
youth empowerment in contemporary Nigeria, Scholarly Journal of Education Vol. 2(5), pp. 52-
57. Retrieved on 5th Feb., 2016 from www.scholarly-journals.com/SJE ISSN 2315-6155.

Akiri, S. E. (2005). Self-Employment Generation as a Long-term Solution to the Unemployment Problems in Nigeria. Journal of Economics and Social Research, Vol. 3, No. 2.

Anyanwu, C. M. (2004).Constraints to Growth in Sub–Saharan Africa?, Pretoria, South Africa, Paper
Presented at the GS4 Workshop on Nov. 29th–30th, In Mejeha, R. O. and Nwachukwu, I. N.
(2008), Microfinance in Nigeria, MPRA.

Ashcroft, B.K. and Love, J.H. (1996). Firm Births and Employment Change in British Counties, Papers in
Regional Science, 75(4): 1-18.

Audretsch, David B., Isabel Grilo and A. Roy Thurik (2007). Handbook of Research in Entrepreneurship
Policy, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA, US: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

Avenger, M. Y. (2005). Poverty Alleviation Programmes and National Development; A Seminar Paper
presentation, Department of Sociology, Benue State University, Makurdi.

Babalola, Sunday Samson (2000). The Impact of Length of Unemployment and Perceived Organizational
Support on Employees? Socio-Emotional NEEDS. Retrieved on 6th Jan, 2016 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272334781_The_impact_of_length_of_unemployment_
and_perceived_organisational_support_on_employees'_socio-emotional_needs

Balkin, S. (1992). Entrepreneurial Activities of Homeless Men. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare
19(4): 129-50

Balogun, E. D. (1999). C.B.N Bulletin. Concepts and Methods. Analyzing Poverty. Vol. 23, No 4.

Baumol J. William (1996). Protracted Frictional Unemployment as a Heavy Cost of Technical Progress,
New York University - Stern School of Business-Department of Economics, Berkley Center for
Entrepreneurial Studies.

BENSEEDS (2005). Benue State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (BENSEEDS), 2nd
Draft Report.

BENSEEDS (2011). Benue State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (BENSEEDS), 1st
Draft Report.

CBN (2003). Contemporary Economic Policy Issues in Nigeria, Abuja: Central Bank of Nigeria.

CBN (2010). Review of the Nigerian Economy, Abuja: Federal Office of Statistics.
Devine J. Theresa and Nicholas M. Kiefer (1994). „Unemployment Duration and Wage Data”, Empirical
Labor Economics: The Search Approach, Oxford University Press.

Dike, Victor E. (2009). Addressing Youth Unemployment and Poverty in Nigeria: A Call for Action, not
Rhetoric, Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, Volume 11, No.3

Evans, D. S. and Leighton, L. S. (1989). Some Empirical Aspects of Entrepreneurship, American
Economic Review, Vol. 79, No. 3, 519-535.

FAO (2002). The State at Food Insecurity in the World 2002. http://www.faostat.fao.org

FOS (2001). Nigeria Foreign Trade Summery, January- December 2001. Federal Office of Statistics,
Abuja, Nigeria.

Federal office of Statistics (2001). Poverty and Urbanisation in Nigeria.
Hirschmen (1982). In Aayongo, C. T. (2004). Work; Essentials Calling of the Human Being;
Makurdi, An Act of God Publications.

Ilorin, B. (1999). Ploicies and Measures for Poverty Alleviation, Abuja: National Planning Commission.

Jhingan, M. L. (1997). Macroeconomic Theory, Delhi: Vrinda Publications (P) Ltd.

Jhingan, M. L. (2007). Macroeconomic Theory, Delhi: Vrinda Publications (P) Ltd.

Keynes, J. M. (1936).The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Retrieved from
http://delong.typepad.com/viner-on-keynes.pdf

Khotkina, Z. A. (2007). Employment in the informal sector. Anthropology and Archaeology of Eurasia,
45, 4, 42-55.

NDE (1987). Annual Report of National Directorate of Employment.
Oduwole, Tajudeen Adebowale (2015). Youth Unemployment and Poverty in Nigeria, International
Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Research, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp23-39.

Olayemi, J. K. (1995). A Survey of Approaches to Poverty Alleviation. Paper presented at the NCEMA Workshop on Poverty Alleviation Strategies into plans and Programmes in Nigeria.

Onyeso, M. (2004). Poverty and its Effects on Nigeria. An Unpublished Seminar Paper.
Parker, S.C. and Johnson, P. (1996), Spatial Variations in the Determinants and Effects of Firm Births
and Deaths, Regional Studies, 30(7): 679-688.

Ragnar, Nurkse (1953). Problems of Capital Formation in Underdeveloped Countries, Oxford: Basil
Blackwell

Sheffideen (1997). In Ilorin, B. (1999). Ploicies and Measures for Poverty Alleviation, Abuja: National
Planning Commission.

Thirwall A. P. (1999). Growth and Development, 8th Edition, Singapore: Pearson Education

Todaro, M. P. (1982). Economics for Developing World. India: Pearson Education

Todaro, M. P. & Smith, C. S. (2009) Economic Development, Tenth Edition Pearson Education Limited,
England.

Ukpong, S. J (1996). “Putting People First: New Directions for Eradicating Poverty”, A Paper Presented
at the National Dialogue/Workshop on Agenda for Sustainable Human Development in Nigeria,
Organized by the UNDP in port-Harcourt, 3-5 May.

World Bank (2010). World development report 2012, Retrieved on 6th January 2016, from
http://www.sitereources.worldbank.org/INTEWDR2012/R.

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back