REDUCING EDUCATION RELATED POVERTY IN NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF BLOCK MOULDING ENTERPRISES IN ILORIN WEST, KWARA STATE.

In Nigeria, the issue of poverty is increasingly becoming threat fo economic and social stability. This is particularly worrisome because majority of the people live below the internationally approved poverty line of one dollar per day. This situation hindered most household heads from sponsoring their children and wards to schools to acquire formal education. This paper therefore assessed the role of selected block moulding entrepreneurs in reducing education related poverty in the area of study. Questionnaire was the instrument used in the study. Independent T-test was applied to analyze the difference between the numbers of children sponsored to schools by two mutually exclusive groups of respondents. the findings indicated that the income generated by the heads of selected enterprises is not only capable of being used to meet basic necessities of the such as feeding, clothing and shelter but also capable of being used to sponsor children to schools-a phenomenon that leads to reduction in the level of illiteracy at least in the area of study. It was concluded small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are capable of not only reducing income related poverty but also some aspect of non-income oriented poverty like acquisition of formal education. The paper finally recommended among other things that government should direct its “education for all” policy towards uplifiment of small and medium enterprises. This will enhance their income generation capacity which will in turn enable them spend more on their children education.