POVERTY REDUCTION THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN RIVERS STATE: A SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE

This study examined poverty reduction through community development in Rivers State from a social work perspective. The persistent nature of poverty in the state despite resource abundance necessitated an exploration of community based strategies for improving livelihoods and living standards. The study focused on four key indicators of community development, namely skills acquisition programmes, cooperative participation, community infrastructure development, and social work intervention, and their influence on poverty reduction outcomes. The study was anchored on Empowerment Theory as propounded by Rappaport in 1981, which emphasizes participation, capacity building, and control over resources as pathways to socio economic improvement. A descriptive research design based on secondary sources of data was adopted. Data were obtained from academic journals, textbooks, government publications, and documented empirical studies relevant to poverty reduction and community development in Rivers State. Qualitative content analysis was employed to synthesize findings according to the study objectives. The findings revealed that skills acquisition programmes enhance income generation and entrepreneurship, cooperative participation expands employment opportunities, and community infrastructure development improves household living standards. The study further found that social work intervention facilitates access to welfare services, promotes empowerment, strengthens community participation, and supports livelihood initiatives, thereby contributing significantly to poverty reduction. The study concluded that sustainable poverty reduction in Rivers State requires integrated community development strategies supported by professional social work practice. It recommended expansion of skills training, strengthening of cooperatives, improved infrastructure investment, and greater involvement of social workers in community development planning.