Millenium Development Goals: Assessing the Efforts to Enhance Socio-Economic Status of TIV Women in North-Central Nigeria

The need to evaluate the impact of MDGs activities on the socio-economic status of Tiv women of Benue State in the North-Central Nigeria area, informs this study. Specifically, the study identifies the programmes available for the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality rate, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and to ascertain whether the said programmes have achieved their aims of reducing poverty and hunger among Tiv women.  Data were collected through the questionnaire and in-depth interview methods.   Findings revealed that a number of projects in health, education, poverty reduction and agriculture have been executed at various points in the study area.  However such MDG activities have neither empowered nor eradicated poverty among Tiv women in the study area. This means that the desired objectives of the MDGs have remained a mirage.  Accordingly, the study reveals that lack of political will to genuinely address the plight of women, corruption and lack of adequate funding have been the major obstacles to achieving the success of MDGs in the study area. Consequently, this has continued to sustain the exploitation and marginalization of women in politics, education, agriculture and formal employment in society. The study recommends, among other things, the political will to intensify the execution of more and relevant MDG projects that can address the plight of women, the need  to tackle inherent corrupt practices in governance and the pursuit of MDGs, and adequate funding of MDG projects in the state. The study also recommended the development of agro-based economy in Benue State as an area where women are predominant to effectively address their poverty, and the need to encourage more girl-child education among the Tiv women of North-Central Nigeria, among others.