Citizens’ Perception of Poverty Alleviation and Youth Employment Strategies of Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

The menace of poverty and its consequential effects on the State and the citizenry is much alarming in most
part of Nigeria and Yobe State inclusive. Whereas extensive effort exists among government, nongovernmental
and other development partners in curbing worrisome situations executed through concerted
developmental projects and programmes. In most respect, the perennial efforts of the governments and
non-governmental groups in combating the poverty has yield less as the incidence continued to manifest
both in the social and political livelihood of the vast majority of the population. This study thus investigated
the perceptions of the citizens toward the strategies and programmes adopted to cushion the effect of the
poverty among youth in Yobe state. The study is designed on a survey approach with which data was
collected through structured questionnaire administered on 100 participants that were scientifically selected
through probability approach. The data revealed an inefficiency of poverty alleviation programmes in
curtailing the poverty crisis in the state. Others are poor technical knowledge of programmes, improper
selections of beneficiaries, politicization of programmes, lack of awareness and non-inclusion of target
beneficiaries in decision processes among other reasons undermining the successes of the programmes. The
study recommends that government and development partners should prioticise the bottom –top approach
to their decision processes. Thorough public and community awareness campaigns should be taken before
any mobilization of programmes.