Remittances, Poverty and Inequality in Rural Nigeria

The dramatic increase in remittances observed at the global level over the past few years has been mirrored in Nigeria, as it ranked among the ten highest remittance receiving country. Though, Remittance transfer has increased exponentially yet much is not known about the effect of remittances on poverty and inequality in a high remittance-receiving country like Nigeria. Widely acclaimed welfare-improving effects of remittances (both domestic and foreign) have not been felt as poverty level continue to rise and income, more inequitably distributed with the biting (pain) more intense (perverse) in the rural areas of Nigeria. While it cannot be denied that few studies exist on this subject, majority of these studies focused urban areas, and narrowed on foreign remittances only. Thus, extent to which remittances affects poverty and income inequality has not been adequately documented in Nigeria.The book comprises of five chapters. The various analysis carried out should help shed some light on subject of remittances and it effects poverty and inequality especially as its affects the rural dwellers, which are mostly neglected in study of this nature.