Curtailing structural violence in Nigeria: the legislature and poverty alleviation in the fourth republic

Abstract

The pivot of the legislature in addressing structural violence in a democratic polity is its responsibility of enacting legislation for good governance, representing citizens’ interests in the public policy formulation process and performing oversight functions for equitable distribution and access to public goods and services. In Nigeria, the elimination of poverty has remained a major focus of every successive government, however, more than half of its populace still live in poverty and continue to battle with challenges emanating from inequality in societal structures. This study applies a systematic literature review to gather data and analyse the legislature’s impact on poverty alleviation in Nigeria’s fourth republic. The study reveals the extent of the capacity of the Nigerian legislative institutions to push for the development of the nation the socio-political dynamic of the country impeding legislative oversight of the implementation of government policies and programmes and the implication of accountable and transparent governance in the country.