EFFECTS OF POVERTY ON THE DEVELOPMENT LEVEL OF IDEATO-SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE (2020-2025)

Abstract

This paper examined the effects of poverty on the development level of Ideato-South Local Government Area of Imo State (2020-2025). The objective was to determine ways unemployment, inefficient education system, as well as people’s poor socio-economic status affect the development level of the Local Government Area. A community-level survey study was adopted. 380 respondents were randomly selected out of 159,879 persons in Ideato-South Local Government Area of Imo State. An instrument titled Poverty and Development Survey Questionnaire (PDSQ), structured in a four-point Likert format, was administered for data collection. The data collected were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and mean. The study is anchored on System Theory. It was revealed that unemployment, an inefficient education system, and people’s poor socio-economic status negatively affected the development level inIdeato-South Local Government Area of Imo State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the government at all levels should provide effective employment opportunities, improve the education system, and improve the people’s socio-economic status to enhance the development level in the communities. It was further recommended that the government should, as a matter ofurgency, emphasise the diversification of the Nigerian economy through agriculture, which will increase the GDP and per capita income of people in the rural communities, reducing poverty in Ideato-South Local Government Area of Imo State.