CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The poverty level in Nigeria is assuming a very worrisome dimension as more and more Nigerians drift towards the margin of society. This situation was aptly captured by the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at the IMF/World Bank spring meeting held in April, 2014 where he restated that Nigeria is one the five countries that have the highest number of poor people. Nigeria according to him ranks third in the world behind India and China. The Director-General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated in his written press conference address in 2011 that about 112 million Nigerians were living in poverty (Punch Editorial, 2014). Five years down the line, the situation instead of improving is even getting worse. The current Vice President of Nigeria Mr Yemi Osinbajo in August, 2015 stated that over 100 million Nigerians were still living below poverty line despite the policies of past governments to improve their welfare. He further stated that the policies were wrongly formulated and as a result did not have direct impact on the people. The high level of poverty in Nigeria has been attributed to a number of factors including poor leadership that breeds corruption which has become institutionalized. Corruption ensures that the wealth of the nation is not evenly distributed among its teeming population generating very high level of inequality to extent that the gap between individuals in terms of material wealth is one of the widest in the world. The people that have appropriated the wealth of the nation are in the minority while the poor are in the majority. The poverty situation in Nigeria has been made worse by the fact that the poor are completely excluded from the political process ensuring that they do not make any input in decisions that pertain to their lives. Nigeria is also currently plagued by a number of security challenges, posing a variety threats to Africa’s most populous nation. These security issues are fall-outs of the activities of the Boko Haram Islamic Sect, militancy in the Niger Delta region of the country, armed robbery, cult activities, kidnapping, herdsmen/farmers clashes, communal clashes, activities of ethnic militia groups among others (Mac-Leva, 2016). Even domestic conflicts have also heightened as a result of the biting economic situation in the country presently. In Nigeria, conflict is very often the result of political, economic and social instability frequently stemming from bad governance, failed economic policies and inappropriate development programmes (Epkenyong, 2011).

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The failure of governance is core to the socioeconomic and political development challenges confronting Nigeria and the spate of violence that threatens national security (Omodia, 2012). Given that democratic governance reinforces the social bond that exists between the government and the governed, the expectation is that public policies and programmes should reflect majorly appropriate citizens’ demands and aspirations made upon the political system. In Nigeria, the extent to which government policies have their origin in the people is minimal (Omodia & Aliu, 2013). According to Jega (2007), the political leadership is characterized by blatant personalization of power, predatory, parochial, prebendal and patrimonial tendencies. These ills no doubt undermine popular participation and the critical role of the masses in setting the agenda of governance (Olaniyi, 2001). The fact that in most cases the outcome of the elitist imposed policies consists of widespread unemployment, corruption and poverty tend to worsen the peoples sense of alienation and frustration in the political system which often translate into disobedience of the state and the resort to violence as a means to challenge the legitimacy of the state. This explains in part the Niger Delta militancy and the Boko Haram insurgency in the North (Omodia, 2012). In the light of the foregoing, this study sets out to examine the relationship between massive poverty in Nigeria and the numerous conflict situations that often generate security challenges in the country. It is to this regard that the study is based on conflict and poverty in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the research work is to study conflict and poverty in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun. The objectives of the study are:

1. to find out the cause of conflict and poverty as they appeared in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun
2. to determine the effect of poverty on the rate of conflict in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun
3. to determine the correlation between conflict and poverty in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the above stated objectives of the study. The following research questions guide the objectives of the study:

1.    What is the cause of conflict and poverty as they appeared in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun?
2. What is the effect of poverty on the rate of conflict in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun?
3. What is the correlation between conflict and poverty in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study on conflict and poverty in habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun will be of immense help to the literature department and theatre arts in Nigeria.  The study will enable the government through the writers or poet to understand the problems in which the citizens are going through in terms of conflict and poverty of citizen by different ethnic groups, it will also enable the citizens of the country to know that as an individual they have right and that they are to exercise that right effectively. The study will serve as a repository of information to other researchers that desire to carry out similar research on the above topic. Finally the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge in this field of study and provide a basis for further research.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will focus on conflict and poverty with respect to habila’s waiting for an angel and adichie’s half of a yellow sun.

1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Conflict: a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one

Poverty: Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living