EFFECT OF VITAMINS C AND E INTAKE ON BLOOD ... - EuroJournals

International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Volume 2, Number I (2006)
members had migrated to the urban centres. About 13.0 per cent claimed that the housing situation
was adequate. 17.0 per cent were of the view that NEEDS had improved their nutritional habit. Some
respondents, however, claimed that there was no direct relationship between their organizations and
agencies responsible for NEEDS programme implementation.
Survey data obtained also indicate that UNDP is a collaborator in employment generation and
poverty alleviation programmes in the state. UNDP commenced its activities in Osun state between
1995-1998. The major activities performed during the period was capacity building for relevant
personnel in the state civil service that will execute programmes of activities. Workshops were also
organized for these personnel. In the recent past, UNDP empowered rural populace including women
by providing them with agro-allied equipment (such as palm oil processing machines) and credit
facilities. Two vocational centres were also established; one at Ikirun and the other at Ilesa. Different
trades are learnt in these centres by young school leavers or dropouts. The agency is, today, supporting
the Osun state government in its policy to create 300,000 jobs for its citizenry. Other areas for which a
blue print is being prepared are job creation at sustainable level and provision of basic infrastructural
facilities towards poverty eradication and economic empowerment of people in the rural communities.
National Employment Programme, through NDE has provided job for just 6.2 per cent of
members which indicates that its impact is low. Survey reveals that people are facing a lot of problems
when seeking for employment in the state. One major problem is the lack of general information as
regards available job opportunities: people do not know where to go. There is high level iof unfairness
as employment opportunities have been politicized. Another problem is inadequate planning on the
part of government and individuals and probably the non availability of job opportunities. Generally,
there is lack of creativity and people's orientation is poor. Many applicants are educationally
incompetent coupled with lack of credits and financial assistance. Migration of people to urban centres
as well as population explosion were also found to be the major causes of unemployment in the state.
Self-employed people lack adequate capital and manpower, good equipment and access to markets.
There is heavy reliance on government jobs which are not available given the poor state of the
economy.
5 Conclusion and recommendation:
The study showed that a large proportion of people (about 70.0 per cent) of Osun state in
Nigeria are poor. The poor in Osun state have limited access to savings and credit facilities, good
roads, pipe borne water, innovative technology and output markets. Poor people in the state are
predominantly in the agricultural sector and in petty trading, utilizing traditional inputs. Qualitatively,
poverty in Osun state of Nigeria has many manifestations and various dimensions. These include
joblessness, over-indebtedness, economic dependence, lack of freedom, lack of basic needs of life for
household, lack of access to economic resources and inability to save and obtain credit. Poor people in
Osun state live in dirty localities that put significant pressure on the physical environment, thereby
contributing to environmental degradation.
In spite of all previous programmes aiming at improving the lot of the poor, Osun state's
records of employment generation and poverty alleviation have been rather low. The paper concludes
that the current employment generation and poverty alleviation programme (NEEDS) in the state had
not yielded significant success as its implementation is not encouraging. The expected positive impact
of NEEDS programme is not yet felt by the general populace. It is, however, observed that women's
status as full housewives is gradually changing in Osun state. In fact, women, like their men
counterparts and youths are now being considered in the mainstream economic policies and NEEDS
programmes which past programmes had failed to recognize.
Inadequate access to employment opportunities has been identified as one of the major sources
of poverty in the state. In fact, the employment situation among the target group members in urban
centres can be described as poor while it is only fair in the rural areas. Major reason adduced is lack
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