An Appraisal of Poverty Reduction Strategies in Sierra Leone

Abdul Morris Dauda

2018-2021

Master in Public Management

ABSTRACT

    Poverty reduction is a significant problem in developing countries. Poverty means complete lack of or reduced access to materials, social, cultural resources, economic, or political resources needed to satisfy the basic human needs. The concept of poverty has multiples definitions depending on the situation one finds himself.

    Factors such as unemployment, lack of basic social human needs like housing, food, clothing, health facilities, water, and gaining of income to meet these necessities of life are the causes of poverty. Several policies or strategies have been adopted to fight this unpleasant and unfortunate situation in the Sierra Leone. In the country as a whole, nevertheless, poverty still exists in the community and the state.

    This study is therefore an attempt at an appraisal of poverty reduction strategies in Sierra Leone from 2013-2019, especially in relation to the policy, strategy formulation, and monitoring control review, and utilisation of resources. The study also focused on the impact of the past, strategies, and programmes on the target poor. The study also utilised the survey approach, and chi-square to collect, collate, analyse, and present data respectively.

    The study revealed that the government and its development partners should develop a multidimensional approach towards poverty reduction strategies, and implement along that line, efforts should be made to effectively target the poor in all considerations, and all level of articulation, implementation, monitoring, and review; the government anti-corruption efforts should be stepped up, and seriously up-held in dealing with matters concerning poverty reduction efforts.

KEYWORDS: Poverty, Appraisal, Alleviation, Strategies