Mitigating structural violence through legislative oversight: examining poverty alleviation programmes in Nigeria

Abstract

The focal point of legislative efforts in addressing structural violence within a democratic framework lies in its duty to promulgate laws promoting good governance, advocating for citizens’ interests in public policy formulation, and executing oversight functions to ensure equitable distribution and access to public goods and services. In Nigeria, the elimination of poverty has remained a major focus of every successive government; however, more than half of its population still lives in poverty and continues to battle challenges emanating from inequality in societal structures. This study uses a secondary source to gather data and analyze the legislature’s impact on poverty alleviation in Nigeria’s fourth republic. The study reveals the extent of legislative intervention in alleviating poverty in Nigeria, the effectiveness of those actions and finally identifies ways through which the menace of poverty could be eliminated in Nigeria.