This paper examined the incidence, depth and severity of poverty, and poverty correlates in Bayelsa state using the FGT decomposable class of poverty measures and a logit regression model as analytical tools on the 2009-10 NLSS data. Results from the FGT model showed that about 25 percent of households are income poor. To escape poverty the averagely poor has to mobilize financial resources to be able to meet 14 percent of N22393.62 household per capita expenditure monthly and the core poor has to mobilize financial resources up to 9 percent more of N22393.62 household per capita expenditure monthly than that required for the averagely poor. Results from the logit regression showed that agriculture and household size increases the probability that a household will be poor while dwelling in the urban area, being headed by male, a naira increase in households per capita expenditure on education and per capita expenditure on health and a year's increase in the number of years spent schooling by household head reduces the probability that a household will be poor. However the major poverty correlates in Bayelsa state were found to be per capita expenditure on education, per capita expenditure on health, years of schooling and household size. It was therefore recommended that free, compulsory and quality education at least up to the basic level as being practiced in some states of the country, easily accessible and quality healthcare services be provided.

Equity investment is an important component of domestic investment and for over two decades Nigeria has witnessed volatility in the value of equity investment. The objectives of the study are to examine the effects of interest rate and domestic debt on private equity investment growth in Nigeria covering the 1987-2010 period as well as to determine if government borrowing crowds out private investment and borrowing. We used the co-integration technique to test the long run relationship among the variables and went to use standard ordinary least squares technique and error correction analysis. The results show that domestic debt and GDP growth rate had a positive effect on equity investment as expected. On the other hand, monetary policy rate had a negative effect on equity investment. The results of this article have crucial implications on the desire by individuals, firms and governments to participate in the equity investment market and policymakers' decisions. The Nigerian government should take cognisance of the 25 percent debt-to-GDP benchmark as adopted by the Federal Executive Council in 2010 and the revision to 30 percent in view of recent realities or the international norm of 60 percent target. Furthermore, funds from debt should be used productively and avoid misappropriation. The monetary policy rate should be allowed to exhibit the interplay of the market forces so as to encourage both internal and external capital investment in the Nigerian economy.

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