Can management technology reduce poverty? Some evidences from Nasarawa State, Nigeria

摘要

Much effort has been put in by scholars and researchers in understanding the nature, dimension and consequences of poverty. Also theoretical as well as practical solutions have been suggested; specially designed projects and programmes have been put in place by successive governments to tackle the problem of poverty as well. However, the relationship between poverty and the effect of technology has received very little or no attention in the poverty literature. As a way of mainstreaming technology in poverty discourse, this study examines the role of management technology in reducing poverty in Nigeria, taking Nasarawa State as a case study. Using a robust methodological approach which combined survey method and quantitative modeling technique, this study the study found out that the index of poverty is significantly sensitive to level of business education, entrepreneurial or management skills, income or revenue from business, safety of lives and property and access to finance. However, it appears that poverty index has not been responsive to management use of equipment and government policies in the past. On the whole though, the findings show that application of management technology small business operation can help in reducing poverty in Nigeria. The study recommends among others that government (especially at the state and local levels) should as a matter of urgency make the availability and accessibility of affordable modern technology possible in the country so as to encourage its use by small business enterprises.