Managing for Development Results: Strategic Lessons for the Implementation of the National Poverty Alleviation Policy

Abstract

Several attempts have been made by the Nigerian government to use the instrumentality of policy to address the incidence of poverty that has been identified as a major development problem in Nigeria. This paper is an effort to critically analyse these policy measures to find out why poverty persists in spite of the enormous resources that have gone into their design and implementation. The secondary method of information gathering and content analysis were adopted. Due to the multiplicity of policies and programmes adopted over the years and the similarities in their goals and strategies, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) was examined more closely. The study revealed that regardless of the good intentions of the policy initiative, it lacked demand-side input in its design. Consequently, the policy only succeeded in getting government endorsement and funding but never went far in achieving development results to positively impact the lives of the targeted population. The study recommends that a systematic and effective adoption of the Managing for Development Results (MfDR) strategy would enhance the capacity of the implementation organization to achieve the desired objectives.