Poverty is a very serious problem in Nigeria today. It is a cancer that has eaten deep into
the framework of society and has become increasingly disturbing to successive
administrations. In fact, various policies and programs aimed at reducing this scourge
have been formulated and implemented by government and many non–governmental
organizations over time. Unfortunately, most of them have met with repeated failure.
This study examines the impact of one of such government-sponsored initiatives –The
National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP)– in ameliorating the plight of the urban
poor in Surulere Local Government Area of Metropolitan Lagos. The study reveals that
NAPEP, though lofty at conception, is not achieving its objectives because the program is
not being effectively implemented. It was discovered that the program is highly
politicized; hence politicians, rather than the poor, are the major beneficiaries.
Furthermore, program monitoring is virtually non-existent. The study also reveals that
while government efforts are laudable, non-governmental organizations and communitybased
efforts are more effective in poverty alleviation, especially at the grassroots. The
paper concludes by suggesting pragmatic strategies for achieving effective poverty
control. These strategies fall within the framework of sustainable urban development and
include applying the norms of urban governance to poverty alleviation.