Non-Food Poverty Differential Across Urban/Rural and Geo-political Zones in Nigeria

Nwanakwere, Justine and Ogwumike, Fidelis (2019): Non-Food Poverty Differential Across Urban/Rural and Geo-political Zones in Nigeria. Forthcoming in: Indian Economic Review

Abstract

This study estimates non-food poverty in Nigeria by evaluating non-food poverty incidence, severity and intensity at the urban/rural areas, geo-political zone and national level. It also evaluates the concentration of the non-food poor in principal sectors of employment in the country. Probit regression model, Foster-Greer-Throbecke (FGT), and Location index were used for the analysis. Data for the study was obtained from the Nigeria General Household Survey (GHS) for 201/11 and 2015/16 periods, with 4246 and 4582 households, respectively. Findings from the study reveal that non-food poverty incidence in the country is high and increasing. Non-food poverty is more in the rural areas than in the urban areas. Also, non-food poverty is highest in the Northern zones compared to the South; more among females than males in the two periods. In addition, the study shows that non-food poverty rate is lowest (28.6%) among population with tertiary education in 2010/11, but increases drastically (60.2%) in 2015/16. Non-food poverty gap and severity increase in the country in 2015/16; with the South recording higher rate than the North. The regression result shows that households headed by female experience more non-food poverty compared to household headed by male. Finally, the study reveals that non-food poor are concentrated in the agricultural, manufacturing and services sectors of the economy. Hence, the study recommends that pro-poor policies targeted at the non-food poor and directed to the sectors where they are concentrated should be designed and conscientiously implemented.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: FGT, non-food poverty, GHS, severity, poverty gap
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O11 - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O18 - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis ; Housing ; Infrastructure

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