ABSTRACT
The study evaluates the impact of Taraba State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy on poverty alleviation in the state. The study adopted a correlational design method and uses data obtained from secondary sources.
It uses longitudinal regression model to examine the impact of investment in agricultural sector, investment in small and medium scale enterprises, and jobs created by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on poverty alleviation in Taraba state. The study reveals that investment in agricultural sector is positive and insignificant in alleviating poverty in Taraba state, while jobs created by the NDE reveals a positive and insignificant relationship with poverty alleviation in Taraba state. Only investment in small and medium scale enterprises shows a negative and significant relationship with poverty alleviation in the state.
The study concludes that it is only investment in SMEs that majorly explain the variation of poverty alleviation in Taraba state. It is recommended that target segment of the people should be made aware of the benefit of the poverty alleviation schemes and proper monitoring should be put in place, to ensure that fund allocated for investment in major sector of the state's economy to alleviate poverty are not diverted.
