AN APPRAISAL OF THE APPLICATION OF MARKETING STRATEGY BY STATE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (SEEDS) IN REDUCING POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT
ABSTRACT
An evaluation of the use of marketing strategy by the state Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (SEEDs) in reducing poverty and unemployment in Enugu state between 2004 and 2008 was conducted.
This study was conducted to investigate whether SEEDs had reduced poverty and unemployment in Enugu State.
Against this backdrop, the project’s goal is to investigate the execution of the SEEDs program and offer strategies to expand on the program’s success while correcting its weaknesses in the coming years. Additional goals are as follows.
1. Determine whether the SEEDs program has lowered enlightenment programs for rural and urban development through the implementation of the SEEDs program.
2. To figure out the marketing approach
adopted in executing the programme.
3. to identify the variables that work against the implementation of a marketing plan
4. To identify the restrictions to the effectiveness of SEEDs in supporting state development.
5. Making recommendations based on the results
A survey study design was used, with a sample size of 400 people surveyed. The questionnaire was the primary research tool utilized to collect data for this study. The chi-square statistical method was used to test the hypotheses developed, yielding the primary conclusions listed below.
1. There is a considerable association between SEEDs’ marketing approach and state development.
2. The state government supports the enlightenment program for rural and urban development through the SEEDs program.
As a result of our observations, we infer that Failure of the Enugu State administration to improve on the implementation of the SEEDs program will not help reduce the level of poverty and unemployment in the state, but will instead increase the rate significantly on the good inhabitants of Enugu State.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Throughout the last four decades, the federal government has worked to address Nigeria’s reoccurring crises of poverty and unemployment. Many of these attempts have not been very successful owing to lack of implementation. Poverty and unemployment are two socioeconomic concerns that have continued to provide challenges to governments around the world. “These two problems have become epidemic in the Nigeria economy,” Soludo says (2004).
Poverty has been on the rise during the 1980s, rising from 28.1% to 46.3% in 1985, 42.7% in 1997, 65.6% in 1996, and 54.4% in 2003, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (2006).
Several depressing indicators of poverty are also provided. In 1999, life expectancy was poor at 54 years, but in other countries like as Japan, life expectancy was 80.8 years, with an average of nearly 78 years among the 48 “high human development countries: (UNDP 200: for some global poverty indices see third wall 2003: 52-62). Infant mortality at 77 per 100 and maternal mortality at 704 per 100,000 live births are among the highest in the world, according to available data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
– Just approximately 10% of Nigerians have access to high-quality medications.
– There were fewer than 30 physicians per 100,000 persons.
– It is estimated that over 5 million adult Nigerians are infected with HIV/AIDS, a figure that may now be exceeded.
– The percentage the proportion of completely immunized children fell from 30% in 1990 to 17% in 1999, with nearly 40% of youngsters receiving no vaccine in later years.
– In 1999, around 50% of the population had access to drinkable water, and fewer than 40% of the rural population relied on the forest for subsistence and household energy.
– On average, rural households spend up to 1.5 hours per day collecting water and firewood, with household members travelling one kilometer per day to collect water and firewood (Central Bank of Nigeria annual bulletin 2003). (WWW.cenbank.org).
Also, qualitative indicators of poverty that have suffered vulnerable group in both rural and urban communities in Nigeria between 1980-2005 is unemployment on the other hand, unemployment level has continued to rise since 1986 with a growth rate of 11.2% between 1984 and 1986 the rate was 17.3% (National Directorate of employment: 21) unemployment is one of the very many dimension of poverty and a very critical and central one. It is believed that once unemployment is poverty addressed, some of the other dimension of poverty will disappear. The twin problem of unemployment and poverty. Therefore constitute national challenges of all time (Ugbaja 2005).
The federal and state government have continued to imitate, promote and complement effort aimed at reducing the intensity of poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.
In fact, in recent time the federal government has redoubled its effort and is stopping at nothing to take fight to the nooks and crannies of the 36 states of the federation including the federal capital territory Abuja.
In the light of the above, the federal government announced a national policy on March 2004, with an effective marketing strategy in the implementation. This programme has been known as the National/Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDs).
In the forward to NEEDs document the former president Chief. Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 stated the strategic points of NEEDs which are wealth creation, empowerment generation, poverty reduction and national value re-orientation within a time frame of 2003-2007. however, this work will concentrate on SEEDs which is the state counter of NEEDs.
This marketing strategy was created through a participatory process that included state and local governments, national and state legislators, civil society organizations, traditional institutions, business entities, donor agencies, the ministry of finance, the national planning commission, and others.
This study is being conducted against this backdrop in order to determine the policy’s marketing strategy implications for the state’s development.
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