The Role of the Church in Annexing Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria

Abstract

Poverty implies lack, shortage, and deficiency, among others, depicting the need for material and capital resources. Poverty in Nigerian society has brought about underdevelopment and a persistent increase in crime rate among the Nigerian youth, thus leading to insecurity of lives and properties. The good act of poverty alleviation is a series of actions, plans, and or endeavors put in place by the society, individuals, and or government to eradicate poverty among the members of the society. As a way of fighting against poverty, the teaching of entrepreneurship has permeated the church landscape, whereby the church now becomes a leading personnel in entrepreneurship discourse in the society to eradicate poverty among church members and society in general through its entrepreneurship theology and skill acquisition programs . The paper examined the church's role in poverty alleviation in Nigeria by annexing entrepreneurship theology. The primary focus of the church was the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The study employed historical, descriptive, and participatory observation methods. It was discovered that the teaching of entrepreneurship is common among 21st-century Nigerian churches where members are educated on the importance of being self-independent, self-reliant, self-improvement, and the ability to make wealth, which is targeted at poverty alleviation . Hence, the study recommended that Nigerian churches engage in more elaborate programs, such as collaborating with organizations or firms to promote entrepreneurial theology at poverty alleviation.