Poverty in the north-western part of Nigeria 1976-2010 myth or reality

Every society was and is still affected by the phenomenon of poverty depending on the nature and magnitude of the scourge. Poverty was there during the time of Jesus Christ. Indeed poverty has been an issue since time immemorial, but it has become unbearable in recent decades particularly in Nigeria. It has caused a number of misfortunes in the country including corruption, insecurity and general underdevelopment. Poverty has always been seen as negative, retrogressive, natural, artificial, man-made, self-imposed, etc. It is just some years back that the Federal Office of Statistics (FOS, NBS) has reported that Sokoto State was the poorest State in Nigeria, a statement that attracted serious heat back from the Government of the State. The Government debunked the claim, saying that the report lacked merit and that it was politically motivated. In this paper, the author has used his own research materials to show the causes of poverty in the States of the North-western part of Nigeria during the period 1976 to 2010, and as well highlight the areas in the States, which have high incidences of poverty and those with low cases, and why in each case.