Unveiling social hurdles and cultural traps in why grassroots poverty grants fail

This qualitative study examined the societal forces that hinder achieving the objectives of a recent grant scheme , initiated by Nigerian government , among its beneficiaries. Exploratory research design and convenience sampling method were adopted , with Ogo-Oluwa local government of Osun State , Nigeria selected as the study location. A purposive sampling method was used to select 30 participants for in-depth , face-to-face interviews using an interview guide as the data collection instrument. Thematic analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The study found that several socio-cultural factors impede the effectiveness of the scheme in Nigeria. The social factors included inflationary pressure , poverty , inadequate information dissemination , macroeconomic instability , erroneous beliefs leading to misappropriation of funds , limited understanding of programme objectives leading to irresponsible use of aid. The cultural factors included dependency culture , high-consumption culture , religious influences , belief in fate , familial obligations , and gift-giving culture. The findings of the study pinpoint the significance of accounting for and addressing these factors to ensure that the intended beneficiaries realize the benefits of the grant. In line with the study findings , this study recommends that future poverty alleviation initiatives take into consideration the influence of socio-cultural factors .