ROLE OF SMALL BUSINESS IN POVERTY ALLEVIATION

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1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The level of poverty that this country is in now demands
that this poverty alleviation mechanism intended to be an emergency, to address some of the most urgent social concerns of the Nigeria’s vulnerable groups, such as the poor, widows, orphans, the disabled, the urban poor, the urban displaced (like the 300,000 Lagos Maroko inhabitants that that were forcibly removed by the military, and the victims of the previous and the present religious disturbances.) The rural poor, the environmental refugees of he Niger-Delta people and the erosion prone Akwa Ibom people, the old age people and the retrenched civil –servants and others who are affected due to the economic down-turn occasioned by mis-management and the subsequent economic reforms. These groups of people need urgent attention. They should not be left to their fate for their fate is in Nigeria.
Infact, poverty makes people compromise on moral values or abandon moral values completely. Poverty has created frustration, loss of hope, prospects of living, something to live for and disillusionment about morality because criminals are living best. In order words, poverty is a cause of corruption while corruption is a cause of quench of poverty and loss of moral values.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of these studies are:
1.      To access the role of small business in the Nigeria economy
2       To access the impact of small business in poverty alleviation in Nigeria especially in Ubotex Nigeria Limited.
3       The study will also assess the extent of awareness on the part of the poor towards the role of small business as a mechanism in alleviating poverty.
4.      Also, whether business has help to change the problems hitter to plagued the poor in Ubotex Nigeria Limited and the country at large or not.
5.      to ascertain whether there is any positive and significant relationship between business and poverty alleviation in Ubotex Nigeria Limited.

1.3    RESEARCH QUESTIONS
These questions are:
1.      What is poverty alleviation all about?
2.      Why is the role of small business necessary on poverty alleviation in Nigeria and Ubotex Nigeria Limited in particular?
3.      Has small business impact on the poor positively or negatively?
4       how has this poverty alleviation programmes been implemented?
5.      Is there areas where this poverty alleviation programme can be strengthen?
6.      How sure are we that small business do help in alleviating poverty in Nigeria and in Ubotex Nigeria Limited?
Answer to these questions and more will provided us the much needed information on the study and to be appreciating the study.

1.4    RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
Ho     Small business has no positive impact on poverty alleviation in Nigeria and in Ubotex Nigeria Limited
Hi      Small business has a positive impact on poverty alleviation in Nigeria and in Ubotex Nigeria Limited in particular.
Ho     There is no significant relationship between small business and poverty alleviation in Ubotex Nigeria Limited and Nigeria as a whole.
Hi      There is a significant relationship between business and poverty alleviation in Ubotex Nigeria Limited and Nigeria as a whole.

1.5    SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research is aimed at assessing the role of small business in alleviating poverty in Nigeria, a case study of Ubotex Nigeria Limited is one disease that has left Ubotex Nigeria Limited people designed and under-develop and Nigerian in general, for it to be eradicated successfully, people business or the other so as to improve their standards of living. Therefore, the scope of these study will not go beyond Ubotex Nigeria and Nigeria in general.

1.6    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 
The importance of this study cannot be over emphasized. Business on it own plays significant role in the social by making goods and services available within the Nigerian economy. Therefore, an economy is made up of business activities that are consciously set up and directed at providing want satisfying goods and services, thereby help to reduce poverty in the lives of those who engaged in the activities.
Any research is always beneficial to various interest groups within the economy. This research will be beneficial to government can help the poor by granting loans and subsides so that they can start small scale business to better their lives. It will also help the government in formulating economic policies. This research will also help the poor to identify the class of business activities they should embark upon. The study will create awareness among Ubotex Nigeria by engaging in economic activities.
This research will by extension enable the micro-finance institutions to realize the need to provide loans to the people at grass root for investment. Above all, this research will be of immense benefit to the reading public and researching students who will wish to carry out further study on this topic and related ones a sit will form a reference point for them.

1.7    DEFINITION OF TERMS