Households In Nigeria Research Articles

Are households with under-five children in Nigeria socioeconomically disadvantaged?

Although the sociodemographic and economic contributors to under-five mortality are well established, very little research has been done to assess the levels of disadvantage under-five children in Nigeria face along these dimensions. Nigeria has the second-highest under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in the world (111 deaths per 1000 live births) and contributed to the highest number of annual under-five deaths globally in 2020 (844,321 deaths). The country has also implemented several decades of policy interventions to reduce under-five mortality by improving sociodemographic and economic conditions at the household level. In this paper, we assess the sociodemographic and economic disadvantages that households with children under-five face compared to other households and discuss the implications for health policy. Using the Nigeria Living Standard Survey 2018-19, we conducted a bivariate analysis to compare the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of households with and without under-five children. We performed independent samples t-test and proportions test to assess whether these sociodemographic and economic factors were significantly different for both groups. We found that households with under-five children typically had larger sizes (6.6 vs. 3.6), lower mean adult age (36.5 vs. 45.3), and male household heads (91.3% vs. 71.5%) than households without under-five children. Furthermore, households with under-five children were less likely to have access to improved drinking water (77.2% vs. 86.0%) and sanitation sources (54.0% vs. 61.9%) than those without under-five children. Despite having more adult working members, 71.2% of households with under-five children lived below the poverty line compared to 37.7% of other households. Although their total consumption expenditure was lower than households without under-five children, they spent a higher proportion of their expenditure on health care and were at a higher risk of experiencing catastrophic health expenditure. Our study has shown that households with children under five are disproportionately disadvantaged than other households in Nigeria. The households with under-five children are larger, younger, and poorer than those without children. We also show a wide variation in the proportion of households with children under five by state. Any efforts to reduce under-five mortality and morbidity in Nigeria should recognize these sociodemographic and economic differences.

Land Access and Poverty Among Agricultural Households in Nigeria

Land Access and Poverty Among Agricultural Households in Nigeria

Food Insecurity Transition Among Agricultural Households In Nigeria

ABSTRACT: Hunger continues to be on the increase and food crises remain a developmental challenge. The incidence of food insecurity in the country has heightened in recent years due to unprecedented natural hazards, economic shocks and climate change, which have eroded livelihoods and worsened the country’s performance in food security-related indices. We therefore used the panel data from Nigeria to examine the food insecurity transition among agricultural households. The data covered four rounds. The food insecurity status of agricultural households was estimated using the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke measure. We explained the interaction among the states of food security of agricultural households across different periods using the food insecurity transition matrix. The determinants of food insecurity were explored using the dynamic probit model. The model addressed unobserved heterogeneity, state dependency, and serial correlation arising from the data and model. Findings revealed that the mean food expenditure increased across the period. Similarly, mean per capita food expenditure also increased across periods except for the 2012/2013 period where it dropped slightly. We observed a rising incidence of food insecurity across the period from 44.1% in 2010/2011 to 53.4% in 2018/2019 representing a 21.1% increase in food insecurity incidence. Widening inequality exists even among the food insecure. Our findings revealed that 87.6% of households are transitorily food insecure, 5.5% are chronically food insecure and 7% are food secured. The significant factors driving food insecurity across the period were the area of land under cultivation, the fall in the price of outputs, and the increase in the price of major food items. Coping strategies employed were eating less preferred foods, restriction in diversity of foods eaten, limiting food portions, and minimizing the frequency of meal consumption. It is therefore important that the government encourage the adoption of yield-enhancing technologies to ensure household food security. Rising prices of major food items and fall in output price gives a cause for concern over the macroeconomic environment in the country, which fuels rising food prices. Policymakers should exercise caution when implementing exchange rate policies that may affect food and output prices, given the impact they have on the livelihood and household security of smallholders.

Ceramic Filters Coated with Green Ag-Nanoparticles for Drinking Water Treatment in Rural Households of Nigeria.

A ceramic water filter (CWF) coated with plant-based nanoparticles was used as household water purifier in a rural community. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were produced from the stem bark of Bridelia ferruginea plant, and their efficacy to enhance the physical, chemical, and microbial quality of raw stream water sample was determined using analytical probes and pour-plate techniques, respectively. The pH of the filtered water sample ranged 7.6 to 8.1, which is within the WHO permissible limit for drinking water, and the electrical conductivity values were also reduced from 110 to 70 µS/cm. The CWF coated with AgNPs (CWF-AgNPs) removed Klebsiella pnuemoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Entamoeba histolytica from the stream water sample. The highest percentage of coliform reduction in the CWF and CWF-AgNPs were 93.18% and 99.64%, respectively. The raw data showed that the CWF-NPs enhanced the quality of the stream water. The surface and internal structure of the CWF-AgNPs can be modified by varying the concentration of the composite materials, so as to determine the most effective combination. The improved CWF-AgNPs will enhance achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation.

PROFITABILITY OF FUEL WOOD MARKETING IN MAIDUGURI METROPOLITAN, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

This study analyzed the profitability of fuel wood marketing in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council Area of Borno State, Nigeria. The study employed purposive sampling technique to select 60 respondents from the three (3) main fuel wood markets in the study area. Primary data was used for the study. The tools used to analyze the data obtained were descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and Gross margin. The study revealed that marketing of fuel wood is a profitable business. It is a major source of cooking energy for Nigerian households throughout the year with the average gross margin for wholesalers of N 69,000 and N 7, 000 for retailers per month. Fuel wood is providing reliable incomes for urban as well as rural households in Nigeria. Despite the profitability of fuel wood marketing, transportation and lack of capital are the major constraints faced by the marketers followed by inadequate storage facilities. To avoid indiscriminate bush burning and illegal tree felling to harvest fuel wood, government agencies should provide the marketers and gatherers with guidelines and support in their activities to prevent the deleterious effects it would have on the environment.

Geospatial analysis of telecommunication and travel behaviour of households: Lessons from a developing city in Nigeria

The advent of telecommunications and other advanced technologies rapidly increases activity accessibility. Consequently, this study examined the impact of telecommunication on the mobility pattern of households in Nigeria. The multi-stage procedure was adopted for the study, and a systematic sampling technique was employed to select 10% of the registered building for questionnaire administration. Thus, 512 respondents were sampled. The stepwise regression analysis revealed that age, income of respondents, call duration, and subscription cost were significant factors influencing telecommunication usage. We found that telecommunication replaces in-store shopping, with 40% of the respondents substituting their shopping trips with telecommunication. We, therefore, proposed that people should be enlightened on the culture of the use of telecommunication and that its usage extends beyond call linkages, as other benefits should be explored.

Adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties and interrelated climate smart agricultural practices in Nigeria

BackgroundIn Sub-Saharan Africa, drought is one of the prevailing climatic conditions that has led to the modification of improved seeds to be resilient enough to improve yield and increase farm households' welfare. However, like most climate-smart agricultural practices, the adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties is low. This study examines the simultaneous adoption decisions of drought tolerant maize varieties and other climate-smart agricultural practices such as intercropping, row-planting, inorganic fertiliser, manure, and residue incorporation using nationally representative survey data from 1370 rural households in Nigeria. Multivariate Tobit and ordered probit models are applied to assess the complementarity and or substitutability effect among CSAPs, the predictors of the joint adoption, and the adoption intensity of CSAPs.ResultsThe results show a significant positive correlation between DTMVs and inorganic fertilisers, DTMVs and intercropping, and DTMVs and manure. However, the strongest adoption complementarity is found between DTMVs and manure. The probability and the extent of adoption of CSAPs are commonly determined by household wealth, access to loans, access to training in improved production practices, and membership in input supply and farm cooperatives.ConclusionThe study suggests that the adoption of DTMVs has varying degrees of relations with other CSAPs informing the need for policies aimed at increasing its adoption to consider existing CSAPs among maize farm households.

Bacteriological Analysis of Well Water Obtained from Onueke Metropolis, Ezza South Local Government Arae, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Many households in Nigeria are dependent on alternative sources of water supply and are exposed to preventable water-borne diseases. This study was carried out to examine the bacterial quality of well water obtained from Onueke metropolis in Ebonyi State. The physicochemical parameters of water samples collected from 25 closed and 25 opened wells were analyzed following standard procedures while bacteriological quality of the water samples including coliform count and bacterial isolate identification were determined using serial dilution and multiple fermentation techniques. Results of the physiochemical parameters showed that pH, Electrical Conductivity, Total Hardness, Turbidity and nitrite were within the WHO standard limit for drinking water. The bacterial count ranged from 0.8 – 3.1 x 104 CFU /100ml involving E. coli (25%), Shigella spp (12.5%), Citrobacter spp (4.2%), Klebsiella spp (29.2%), Enterobacter spp (12.5%) and Salmonella spp (16.7%) as the dominant isolates and exceeded the WHO guidelines limit of 0 cfu/100ml for drinking water. Generally, the uncovered wells were more highly contaminated with bacteria pathogens than the covered wells. All samples were above the most probable number (MPN) per 100 ml permissible limit of WHO guidelines for untreated drinking water. In conclusion sampled well water from Onueke metropolis contained bacterial contaminants making the water not safe for drinking devoid of any further water treatment process.

Improving food security of farming households in Nigeria: Does broiler outgrowers' program make any difference?

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of outgrowers' programs on the food security of smallholder poultry farming households in Osun State. Using multi-stage sampling technique, a structured questionnaire was designed to collect information from beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of outgrowers' programs in the study area. Descriptive statistics, food security index, and Heckman's selection model were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that outgrowers and non-outgrowers were on the average, 49 and 45 years old, with about 12 and 8 years of experience in poultry farming, respectively. The Poultry Farmers' Association was represented by 97% of outgrowers and 47% of non-outgrowers. There were four major broiler outgrowers' programs existing in the area. The Anchor-Borrower Outgrowers' program and Osun Broiler Outgrowers' program adopted a fixed contract model, whereas, the Dayntee Farm and GS Farm outgrowers' programs employed a semi-fixed contract model. The incidence of food insecurity was 18% for outgrowers and 35% for non-outgrowers, with food insecurity depth and severity being 0.025 and 0.033 for outgrowers and 0.134 and 0.52 for non-outgrowers, respectively. The study found a significant difference in outgrowers' perceptions of food insecurity as well as their coping strategies. The major perceived indicators of food insecurity were inadequate resource endowment (MD = 0.758, p<0.01) and consumption of low-cost food (MD = 0.0658, p<0.01). Food acquisition on credit (WMS = 1.700), meals adjustment (WMS = 1.425), and cooking methods' modification (WMS = 1.875) strategies were adopted to cope with food insecurity. Participation in the outgrowers' program was influenced by membership of Poultry Farmers' Association, credit access and flock sizes and the significant predictors of food security among the poultry farming households were outgrowers' participation, household size, gender, marital status and credit access. It was therefore inferred that outgrowers were considerably more food secure than the non-outgrowers, encouraging the need to scale up the program in the poultry industry. Introduction of flexible regulations and reproductive education would make the program more rewarding to the poultry farming households.

Household food insecurity and cooking energy access in Nigeria: A panel data approach

Access to sources of cooking energy has potential impacts on food security, however, there is a paucity of information and empirical evidence on their linkages. This study sought to ascertain the impacts of access to cooking energy on household food security in Nigeria, using the nationally representative Living Standards Measurement Study data. The data covered the period 2010/2011 to 2015/2016. The Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) were used to measure household food security, while the major cooking fuel type utilized by households was used as a proxy for cooking energy access. To unravel the effects of access to different cooking energy sources on food security, inferential analysis was conducted using the Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). The findings of the study revealed that traditional/biomass (firewood, grass and charcoal) cooking energy sources are still widely used by households across Nigeria. The empirical analysis showed that households that use transition and clean cooking energy sources were eating more diverse diets than those that use biomass. Furthermore, households using clean cooking energy sources had lower HFIAS than those using biomass. It is imperative that more households in Nigeria should have improved access to cleaner sources of cooking energy to reduce carbon emissions and enhance health outcomes, and food and nutrition status. This will significantly improve the national food security outlook, and foster the attainment of national and SDG (2 and 7) goals.

AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT-FOOD PRICE NEXUS AND HOUSEHOLDS’ WELFARE IN NIGERIA

This paper evaluates agricultural output-food price nexus and the welfare of households in Nigeria. The study is essentially secondary data based and utilized the Autogressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) approach for its analysis. Findings revealed that agricultural output had no significant impact on households’ welfare in Nigeria. It was also shown that government spending on agriculture was unable to significantly boost food production and hence food security in Nigeria during the time under reference. This portends grave concerns for the future, and in light of this, the government should reassess its current insignificant allocation to the sector. The study also recommends that government should provide funding to enhance technology in food production through the acquisition of sophisticated farm tools (harvesters, tractors, herbicides, and fertilizer) and the construction of irrigation /storage facilities, as well as the establishment of food processing industries throughout the country, in order to enable farmers to increase productivity, leading to reduced food prices and enhanced welfare for the citizenry.

Leaving no one behind: Urban poverty traps in Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite considerable achievements in the reduction of poverty over the last decades, poverty remains conspicuously high and profound. While fast urban population growth, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, has contributed to poverty reduction, new development challenges like the urbanisation of poverty emerge. However, little is known about the state and persistence of poverty in urban areas. This study investigates urban poverty within the theory of poverty traps among urban households in Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia, three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with large urban populations and fast urban population growth. Using household panel data from the World Bank’s Living Standard Measurement Study between 2008 and 2015, we test whether consumption-based poverty traps exist in these contexts. Our results show that initially poor households experience an increase in well-being over time, while richer households face a decline and remain vulnerable to falling back into poverty. As households converge to consumption levels around the $3.20 poverty line, there is considerable movement into and out of poverty over time. However, a sticky consumption floor shows that despite upward dynamics amongst the poor, some are being left behind. Finally, we argue that improved urban data is needed to identify the vulnerable middle, and to design structural policies preventing them from falling back into poverty.

Food Demand Projection and Consumption Patterns of Urban Households in Nigeria’s Kano State

Food Demand Projection and Consumption Patterns of Urban Households in Nigeria’s Kano State

Economic burden of non-communicable diseases on households in Nigeria: evidence from the Nigeria living standard survey 2018-19.

The importance of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria is reflected in their growing burden that is fast overtaking that of infectious diseases. As most NCD care is paid for through out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses, and NCDs tend to cause substantial income losses through chronic disabilities, the rising NCD-related health burden may also be economically detrimental. Given the lack of updated national-level evidence on the economic burden of NCDs in Nigeria, this study aims to produce new evidence on the extent of financial hardship experienced by households with NCDs in Nigeria due to OOP expenditure and productivity loss. This study analysed cross-sectional data from the most recent round (2018-19) of the Nigeria Living Standard Survey (NLSS). Household-level health and consumption data were used to estimate catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishing effects due to OOP health spending, using a more equitable method recently developed by the World Health Organization European region in 2018. The productivity loss by individuals with NCDs was also estimated from income and work-time loss data, applying the input-based human capital approach. On average, a household with NCDs spent ₦ 122,313.60 or $ 398.52 per year on NCD care, representing 24% of household food expenditure. The study found that OOP on cancer treatment, mental problems, and renal diseases significantly contribute to the cost of NCD care. The OOP expenditure led to catastrophic and impoverishing outcomes for households. The estimations showed that about 30% of households with NCDs experienced CHE in 2018, using the WHO Europe method at the 40% threshold. The study also found that the cost of NCD medications was a significant driver of CHE among NCD-affected households. The results showed heterogeneity in CHE and impoverishment across states and geographical regions in Nigeria, with a higher concentration in rural and North East geopolitical locations. The study also found that 20% of NCD-affected households were impoverished or further impoverished by OOP payment, and another 10% were on the verge of impoverishment. The results showed a negligible rate of unmet needs among households with NCDs. The study highlights the significant effect of NCDs on Nigerian households and the need for effective policy interventions to address this challenge, particularly among the poor and vulnerable.

Effects of rabbit production on income and livelihood of rural households in Nigeria

AimsMore effort and actions are needed to combat the rising levels of food insecurity and poverty in developing countries, particularly among rural households. Rural households can significantly contribute to reducing poverty, enhancing their nutritional condition, and enhancing their standard of living by engaging in rabbit production but there are few empirical studies on the contribution of rabbit production to households’ livelihood and income. Therefore, this study examines how producing rabbits affects rural farmers' income and household livelihood in Nigeria. Methods and resultsMultiple regression and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data gathered from 240 rabbit farms. The findings demonstrated that rabbit farming is a male-dominated enterprise (male 77.5%). According to the regression analysis, the income of rural households was positively and significantly impacted by the income from rabbits. Farmers' ages, interactions with extension agents, credit they accessed, and assets were further determinants of their income. Additionally, rabbit production improved the level of living of rural households. Access to forage, the prevalence of diseases, scarcity of veterinary, and the high cost of medication, were the severe constraints faced in rabbit production. ConclusionsIt may be concluded that rabbit production had a significant contribution to the economic situation, way of life, and well-being of rural households. Although there were some constraints with the operation. Females are to be encouraged in rabbit production as livelihood diversification. Also, it is crucial that banks, governments, and non-governmental organizations offer farmers easily accessible and reasonable loan facilities as this will boost their revenue. Training on forage production and storage is also recommended. Significance and the impact of the studyParticipation will be improved by having an understanding of how rabbit farming affects the income and way of life of rural dwellers. As a result, the findings of this study would enable policymakers to intervene in enhancing its production thereby encouraging more farmers to be involved in the production and also, enhancing the well-being of rural households.

Cash Transfers to Poor and Vulnerable Households in Nigeria: A Critical Analysis of the Gender Mainstreaming Approach

In 2016, the Federal government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari established the National Social Investment Program (NSIP), including the Cash Transfers (CTs) to tackle poverty in the country and prevent vulnerable households from falling further down the poverty line. The CTs program, known as the Household Upliftment Program (HUP) targeted the poorest of the poor for 6 years (2016-2022) by giving N5000 monthly to “poor” households across the 36 States and the Federal Capital territory. As stated in the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) Manual, cash transfer implementation was guided by gender action plans designed in line with the gender mainstreaming strategy, whose objective is to is to ensure equitable representation and participation in the program by all genders. This paper seeks to address two important research questions; what are the specific ways the gender mainstreaming approach was used in the design of the cash transfer program? Is the implementation of the cash transfers in line with the gender mainstreaming approach?

Applicability of Islamic microfinance as an alternative tool for Poverty Eradication in Nigeria

The microfinance system is one of the governmental and non-governmental initiatives to eradicate poverty, even though conventional microfinance does not satisfactorily serve the needs of underprivileged households in Nigeria. However, Islamic microfinance has great potential to facilitate its roles in providing financial services per Islamic values. This research examines Islamic microfinance's perception of poverty eradication in the Kwara State of Nigeria. The 364 responses from microfinance clients in Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria, were analyzed through SPSS using descriptive and Pearson coefficient moment correlation (PPMC). The findings indicated a positive statistically significant correlation between Islamic microfinance and household income (PEHI), healthcare (PEHC), education(PEED), and employment(PEEM). This study is significant as it presents the applicability of Islamic microfinance for eradicating poverty in the study area. Policymakers should widely institutionalize Islamic microfinance institutions nationwide and take necessary and exclusive measures to ensure their effectiveness for poverty eradication and achieving sustainable socioeconomic development.

Quadratic almost ideal demand system analysis of demand for selected vegetables and fruits in nigeria

This study analyzed the demand for selected vegetables and fruits in Nigeria. It determined price effects on demand for fruits and vegetables, examined the demographic variables influencing demand and revealed the expenditure elasticity across income quartiles and sectors. Data from the three waves of Living Standard Measurement Survey-Integrated Survey on Agriculture namely 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2015/16, were employed in the analysis. The demand for bananas, citrus, pineapples, fresh okra, onions pepper and tomatoes was examined using the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System. Households in Nigeria consumed more vegetables than fruits. The results revealed that the staple vegetables in Nigerian diets are tomatoes, onions and pepper. It was observed that movement in relative prices elicited high quantity response. All the fruits and vegetables included in the model were normal goods. Vegetables and fruits responded similarly to expenditure increases in urban and rural Nigeria. The own-price elasticities, both uncompensated and compensated agree with the demand theory. More consideration should be given to the intensifying production of fruits and vegetables in technology development and investment to make them available and affordable.

CO-IMPACT OF SECURITY CHALLENGES, ENERGY PRICE SHOCKS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION ON NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA

Global food insecurity is on the increase, and factors responsible for it are dynamic and differ from country to country. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of security challenges, energy price shocks, and environmental pollution (SEE) on food production, availability, affordability, stability, utilization, and on malnutrition using information from existing literature. Information relevant to the scope of this study was sourced from local Journals, African Journal Online, Science Direct etc. The sourced information deduced that the security challenges in Nigeria had affected (though still affecting) food availability, affordability, and accessibility. While energy price shocks affects negatively, financial access to food especially among the low and middle income households in Nigeria. Environmental pollution on the other hand impairs soil fertility and degradation, aquatic animal’s extinction, and food safety. The impacts of SEE on food security are enormous and would in no doubt breed more malnutrition especially among children. Also, local, regional, and national security stability and development may be affected. Therefore, it is imperative that the government and other relevant stakeholders find information in this study impactful and useful, and enable them formulate, propagate, and put to action policies and programs that could in short time thwarts the menaces associated with SEE for a better food secured nation.

Exposure to mass media family planning messages among men in Nigeria: analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey data.

Family planning (FP) is essential for improving health and achieving reproductive goals. Although men are important participants in FP decision-making within households in Nigeria, a country with one of the highest rates of maternal mortality, we know very little about their exposure to mass media FP messages. Drawing theoretical insights from the structural influence model of health communication and using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (n=13,294), and applying logistic regression analysis, we explored the factors associated with men's exposure to mass media FP messages in Nigeria. A range of socioeconomic, locational, and demographic factors were associated with men's exposure to mass media FP messages. For example, wealthier, more educated, and employed men were more likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages than their poorer, less educated, and unemployed counterparts. In addition, compared to those in rural areas and other regions, men in urban areas as well as South East Region, were more likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages. Finally, younger men and those who belong to the traditional religion were less likely to be exposed to mass media FP messages, compared to their older and Christian counterparts. Based on these findings, we discuss implications and recommendations for policymakers as well as directions for future research.