Access to physical capital as a panacea to urban poverty reduction: A case study of Otukpo urban area of Benue state, Nigeria
 

Jonathan Ogwuche

Department of Geography, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.

 E-mail: Ogwuche.jonathan@yahoo.com

Accepted 16 August, 2012

Abstract

For a sustainable urban poverty reduction, the quality and quantity of, and access to physical capital (environmental infrastructure and social services) are paramount. This paper examines the role of access to physical capital in urban poverty reduction by reviewing the literature and an empirical study in Otukpo Urban area of Benue State, using a sample size of 600, selected from the 14 residential areas there. The conceptual framework for this study is based on the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach, which is conceptually appropriate, empirically sound, and of more practical use for achieving urban poverty reduction in relation to policies designed for the provision of and access to physical capital. Using correlation analysis and factor analytic approach, the study established socio-economic and environmental correlates of the area with physical capital, and also identified 8 underlying factors of physical capital for sustainable urban poverty reduction. Out of these, access to physical capital is the main indicator of physical capital for urban poverty reduction. It is therefore recommended that adequate provision of, and access to physical capital for poverty reduction should be pursued as a conscious intervention by government, and this requires, among others, good governance and community participation.

Keywords: Access, Physical capital, Sustainable livelihoods, Urban poverty.