Development can be viewed from many angles. To some it means progress in creating a credible and viable political system. Others view it as a process of social modernization. To most economic planners, development is growth in the national income. This paper follows the view that the ultimate aim is the development and utilization of human capabilities. More generally, the human angle should gain a special position among alternative viewpoints in the light of the substantial evidence that strengthening of the capabilities of human beings to produce, choose and innovate is the most effective means of achieving economic, political and social development.
The challenges of poverty and insurgency had caused problems of different dimensions in north-eastern Nigeria. Specifically Bauchi state recorded 89.5 percent of Multidimensional Poverty Indicators above other states in the country. The main objective of this study is to explore the strategies to build resilience to poverty in the study area. In achieving this, a qualitative research design via semi-structured interview and purposive sampling were applied. Accordingly, twenty-two informants from the ministries, agencies, and commissions in addition to some selected underprivileged people were consulted during the data collection. Consequently, findings from the study indicated that national, state, community and individual strategies were suggested to overcome poverty and other socioeconomic challenges bedeviling the people in Northeastern Nigeria in general and Bauchi state in particular. These views of the informants are expected to address the socioeconomic challenges identified in the state. Perhaps, the community strategies include security initiatives, collaborations with NGOs to cushion the effects of poverty in the towns and villages with the contributions of the religious and traditional institutions. Furthermore, personal empowerment, enhancing peoples' confidence, and skills exhibit the individual strategies. Subsequently, by strengthening the federal, states as well as security arrangements to avert the problems discovered. The expansion of poverty reduction programs, accessible educational policies, youth empowerment schemes, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and the overall development of northeastern Nigeria were suggested.
The paper reviewed the Waqf literature as a basis to analyze its contribution as a financial tool in addressing Poverty Reduction in Nigeria. The study is purely exploratory that relies on desktop research. The research uses previous studies for the analysis, which include news articles, government publications, and websites. The secondary data were obtained from the Holy Qur'an as the Primary source of Shari'ah (Islamic law), which were used to back most of the arguments put forward for the assessment of Waqf in the study area. The study concluded that Waqf played a vital role in reducing poverty in Nigeria. The study recommends the need of Waqf awareness to be created to enlighten the rich men in the society and also for the government to ensure proper and adequate management of Waqf institution. This will help Islamic value-centric policymakers, regulatory authorities, investors, and researchers to gain an overall insight into the potentials of Waqf as a financial tool in reducing poverty.
A pool of knowledgeable staff is required within middle and senior management for long-term human resources for health (HRH) planning and effective management at all levels of the health system—federal, state, and local. This brief reports on the training by the Population Council, in partnership with the World Health Organization in Nigeria, of 105 key personnel on HRH planning, management, policy dialogue, advocacy, and resourcing for the HRH project "Enhancing the Ability of Frontline Health Workers to Improve Health in Nigeria." Critical HRH-related capacities were built among key Nigerian health system personnel and managers, most significantly in the states of Bauchi and Cross River and within their local government areas. These efforts should facilitate better long-term HRH planning and management in these areas, hopefully leading to improved health outcomes in these states. In addition, the institutional strengthening of a national center for HRH Training and Education, through the sustainability efforts of the HRH project, will continue to build the capacities of healthcare managers and workers throughout Nigeria.
Primary health care (PHC) is the first contact in a healthcare system and, at its core, includes access to basic interventions that address health needs at the community level. These basic interventions are provided by key frontline health workers—nurses, midwives, and community health extension workers—critical for facilitating immediate access to maternal, newborn, and child health services at PHC facilities. Despite the critical roles of these healthworker cadres, their distribution is uneven and skewed—geographic and within levels of care and governments, in addition to poor distribution of skills—compounded by high attrition due to poor human resources for health (HRH) management and development. The aim of this study is to examine the HRH hiring, deployment, and retention procedures and practices in Cross River and Bauchi states in Nigeria, to generate evidence to support the development of improved and gender-sensitive hiring and deployment guidelines. The study also provides recommendations for improved HRH planning and management for better service delivery.
