Status of Living Standards in Nigeria between 2010 and 2013

Abstract

The high rate of poverty in Nigeria has reached alarming proportions. Despite average economic growth rate of 6 percent between 2004 and 2010, the incidence of poverty has remained high, increasing from 54.7 percent in 2004 to 60.9 percent in 2010 (Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). A drop in the poverty rate to an average of 56.1 percent between 1999 and 2007 could be attributed to the measures taken by the civilian government against administrative corruption, increased domestic and foreign investments and some implemented agricultural policies. These efforts were thwarted by subsequent administrations with devastating effects for the Nigerian population. It is in recognition of this that this study analyses the variations in poverty across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria including the rural and urban areas using the living standards approach. To achieve these objectives, the study analyses poverty from a non-income approach using the listed living standards indicators: floor of the dwelling, cooking fuel, lighting, source of drinking water, type of sanitation facility, type of refuse disposal facility. The dataset used in this study is the General Household Survey (GHS-Panel) wave 1 (2010-2011) and wave 2 (2012-2013). The results show increases in poverty in most zones including the rural and urban areas.