CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Poverty, the inability to provide the basic necessities of
life for one’s self. This inability has divided the societies into a few rich
and a large number of poor masses. As the rich struggle to maintain and advance
their status, the poor finding the effort at improving their lot not working
seem determined to balance the equation by violent crimes against the rich, as
a result insecurity becomes the beam of the society. Poverty has been one of
the greatest concerns of most developing economy from ancient days to this
present era. Though it is a global phenomenon, it is more prominent in the
developing economics.
All over the world, poverty reduction forms the prime
objective of economic returns, policies and programmes and yet this economic
development especially in the developing economy. The sluggish improvement in
the economic growth variables in Nigeria, especially in the post –SAP era has
been attributed to rapid increase in the number of people living below the
poverty.Poverty has indeed assumed an unprecedented proportion in Nigeria,
manifesting not only in abysmal decline in economic indicator but more glaring
and tragically in the suffering and hardship in the vast majority of people. By
1989 for instance more than 70% of Nigerians were living below one Dollar a
day, given the embarrassing poverty level, in Nigeria.
The National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
(NEEDS) was geared towards channeling national budget into focusing on
programmes and projects that would culminate in strong economic growth as means
of significantly raising the standard of living. Poverty can be described as a
lack of common necessity over basic consumption needs i.e. a situation of
inadequate level of consumption giving rise to insufficient food, clothing and
shelters.
Poverty
reduction effort is aimed at lifting out persons trapped in poverty web and
preventing those above poverty line from slipping under. Since Nigeria returned
to democratic rule in 1999, various poverty reduction programmes introduced
Obasanjo’s administration. One of the instruments that government has
identified to tackle poverty and promote economic development in Nigeria s the
promotion of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMES).
On
attainment of office President Umar Musa Yar’Adua unveiled his planed policies
and programmes which are at aimed all alleviating Nigeria from poverty. This
programme had in inclusion the short term programme which is the “seven point
agenda” and the long term project of vision 2020:20 which is aimed at making
sure that Nigerians were not only out of poverty rating but also among the
first 20 most advanced nations of the world.
Although
poverty has remained stubbornly high in most African countries for decades but
there a sign of relief if these policies are adequately, fashioned, planned and
programme. Records reveal that over one billion people across the world live in
poverty with Nigeria having over 60 million of this number i.e. 6% of the total
figure (Nwachuhwa 2006)
Poverty
has assumed such global dimension that it has suddenly become a condition for
debtor nation to prepare and of course foster what is now called poverty
reduction strategy paper to earn any form of attention from the World Financial
Institution (Nnamani 2006) President Olusegun Obasanjo made a successful
attempt during his regime when he sought a debt relief from the Paris Club.
The
Government of late President Umar Musa Yar’ Adua knowing Nigeria is classified
among the poorest countries in the world (UNDP 1997) made serious effort to
alleviate poverty through different means especially through the various and
many reforms, introduced the short term project of seven point agenda and the
much proclaim vision 202020 which the government considered major long term
project they are giving Nigeria.
It will
be interesting to note that the current government of Goodluck Jonathan has
taken over with the vision 2020:20 programmes which has a shape of difference
from the former practice
It should
be said here that though the challenge of poverty reduction is immense for the
global community in general and Nigeria in particular. To remedy this
situation, government should encourage the upsurge of collective participation
and bring in various organ of government including, the media and the general
citizenry.
1.2 `STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It is
clear that many factors are responsible for poverty in Nigeria. Those include
local managerial incompetence, failure to translate policies into products and
implement them fully, conscientiously and efficiently, bribery and fraud,
external intervention with the particularly divesting social effects of
externally inspired and other incoherent policies of reform. Corruptions in
Nigeria breads inefficiency, diminish productivity, discourage investment,
great fuels inflation and capital flight and institute a regime of poverty and
unemployment.
According
to the federal government vision 20:2020 is a target to be one of the 20
largest economic Nations of the world. Therefore it is very imperative to look
at how achievable vision 20:2020 is from the perspective of mass media. As a
matter of fact mass media and vision 20:2020 are needed to be fully understood
at ones before we processed in this research work.
The
foregoing is the general content in which we must explain tentatively the
issues involved in the prevalence of poverty in Nigeria. Why is it that a
country like Nigeria, which is endowed with both vast natural and human
resource remain in object poverty? Despite an age of oil boom and the existence
of a nationwide network of poverty reduction institutions, Nigeria remain among
the poorest nations of the world and poverty intensify among it people. Why is
this so? On the basis of data and information gathered from secondary sources
and documents a number of issues are identified as being responsible for the
prevalence of poverty in Nigeria. To fully understand this, I shall be checking
the involvement of mass media in solving all these societal problems.
Mass
media and broadcast media in general are a very important socializing agent.
They are impersonal sources and they reach large and heterogeneous audience.
The broadcast media is very educative and do not only transmit information and
message but also provides pictures of government activities, to teach
individuals public norms and values accepted by the society and also reinforce
such norms and values.
At the
inception of President Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua presidential tenure he instituted a
7 point agenda and a vision 20:2020 which is aimed at improving the worth of
Nigerians among the frontline countries of the world in terms of economic
development. The vision forecast the Nation by the year 2020, as one of the 20
largest economic countries of the world able to consolidate with its leadership
role in Africa and establish itself as a significant players in the Global
economic and political arena”.
Nigeria’s
economic potential is well recognized it is the biggest economy in the West
African sub-region. Given the countries considerable resource endowment and
cost location there is potential for strong growth. Yet, Nigeria has realized
little of this potential. Previous effort at planning and visioning were not
sustained. The history of economic stagnation, declining welfare and social
inability has undermined development for most of the past 30 years.
Various
studies have shown a strong relationship between media development and economic
growth.
Media can
empower people, by giving them platform for diverse opinions, participating in
government and engaging in collective work. Nigerian broadcast media actors
have to be at the fare front of vision 20:2020 engaging and interacting with a
wide a range of members of the public and groups.
Vision
20:2020 will only make meaning to Nigeria citizens if the media will provide
much needed structure for effective communication, co-ordination and
networking.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE
STUDY
Poverty
alleviation has became a global issue that is top the agenda of most
government, Nigeria is not an exception, therefore, these is an urgent need for
the country to formulate policies that will reduce that incidence of poverty in
Nigeria. In the light of this the following are the objective of this research
is;
i.
To ascertain the extent of
poverty alleviation attained through use of the broadcast media in achieving
2020:20
ii.
To evaluate the level of
involvement of broadcast media in achieving the set vision.
iii.
To examine the cause of
policy failure and the major role of the used media in achieving any policy
success.
1.4 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY
No
economic growth can be achieved without government putting in place well
focused programme to reduce poverty through empowering it citizen and uplifting
their lot. It is pertinent to note that most government all over the globe
especially in developing economies like Nigeria has embarked on laudable
programmes aimed at alleviating poverty; in Nigeria the government has embarked
on various programmes lately the vision 20:2020.
The
purpose of these research has been mounted on the role played by the broadcast
media in achieving this set vision in seeing how the country can attain the
prospect of been among the first
20 most advance countries of the world.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This
research has not gone beyond the scope and operation some broadcast medium and
the effect of their programming on the entire community toward the achievement
of the set vision 20:2020.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Consequently,
this research will be attempting to provide solution to the following key
question that seem not clear about the importance and role of the broadcast
media in achieving vision 20:2020.
i.
To what extent has
government promoted and supported the broadcast media toward the attainment of
vision 20:2020.
ii.
To what extent will
broadcast media help in speeding up the achievement of the set vision
iii.
To what extent has the
broadcast media be an active tool to the achievement of vision 20:2020?
iv.
To what extent has the set
vision succeeded through the usage of broadcast media.
1.7 LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
The role
of the broadcast media in achieving vision 2020:20 is an elaborate theme. The
broadcast media itself is up to taste not to talk about the other element it
role in achieving vision 2020:20. broadcast media include Radio, Television and
even this days the internet but due to constraint associated with timing,
financial factors, resource
available and the research shall be combining the three broadcast media entity
as one.
1.8 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
NIGERIAN ECONOMY: The
Nigerian economy can structurally be classified broadly into four: production,
general commerce, service and others. Production
is made up of Agricultural manufacturing, mining and quarrying, and real estate
and constructions. General
commerce is composed of bill discounted, domestic trade export and imports. On
the other hand service include public utilities and transport and communication
“others” are made up of credit and financial institutions governments, and
miscellaneous (composed of personal and professional) (private) sectors.
POVERTY: Poverty is a state or
condition characterized, among many things by lack of material. Possession
existing without the luxuries aids often the necessities of life being in a
position to excite compassionate regard to pity.
BROADCAST MEDIA: Broadcast media are medium of communication used to convey message
to large and heterogeneous audience which are scatted about in far and near
places.
VISION 20:2020: Is a dream by the Nigerian government led by late President Umar
Musa Yar’Aua that by the year 2020, Nigeria will be one of the first top
developed and most advance 20 largest economy country.
