Poverty in Urban Areas: Example from Ilorin and Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria
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Date
2013
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Department of Geography & Planning Science University of Ado-Ekiti
Abstract
Rural development and rural poverty have dominated research and development agenda of Nigerian government over decades without given enough considerations to urban poverty. The UNDP (2004) reported that over seventy percent of Nigerians live on less than one dollar per day. In Kwara State, 83.3% male headed households and 82.2% female headed households were classified as poor (NBS, 2006). This paper examines the extent of poverty on the people of Ilorin and Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the inhabitants. Data were generated from a survey of 300 respondents sampled with the use of random sampling technique. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews were also conducted with some of the respondents. The results indicate that poverty exist among people from various walks of lives in these two urban areas. Suggestions made include organising poverty reduction strategies programmes for the people.