IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS VALUES ON POVERTY REDUCTION IN KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Poverty remains widespread in Nigeria with a consistently increasing rate averaging 68 percent between 2000 to 2011, with the highest rate estimated at 89 percent in 2022 (Garba, 2023). A study conducted by Kabuga and Adamu (2021) revealed that there are poorer households than non-poorer households in Katsina State. The level of poverty in Katsina state is chronic. To buttress their point, Kabuga and Adamu (2021) stated factors such as household size, lack of education and lack of non-farm jobs are among the causes of poverty in the state. This calls for stakeholders to be involved in reducing poverty in Nigeria. This study thus looks at what the Church is doing to reduce poverty for peace and sustainable development in Nigeria. Over the years the incidence of poverty has been on the increase defying all government effort. The issue of poverty has become a topical discourse in the world that it occupied a front burner. The study adopted survey approach and 400 useable questionnaires were utilized for the collection of data and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result of the findings revealed the prevalence of abject poverty in the rural areas of Katsina State. The study recommends that the existing poverty alleviation programs in the state and in Nigeria as a whole should be reviewed in such a way to make the strategy more effective in tackling poverty. The main contribution of this study is its empiricism in confirming the items that measure poverty through factor analysis, and the sample size which was adequate enough for making generalization within regions and among regions.