Socio-Demographic Factors as a Determinant of Household Poverty in Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose: This paper focuses on the socio-demographic factors as a determinant of poverty in Niger State, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: Using a set of household data generated from a structured questionnaire administered on 519 households, in which 479 responses found suitable for the analysis, and Tobit regression analysis. Multistage sampling was used to obtain data from six local government’s area of the state. The marginal effects of Tobit regression on each of the independent’s variable were also identified. Findings: Mean age and household size were 35.1 ± 11.1years and 4.5 ± 2.2 years respectively. The results of the analysis showed that age, gender, household size, educational status, and health facility were the factors that significantly affected poverty in Niger State. The Tobit regression results shows that if household size increase by 1, poverty will increase by 0.7 per cent, also additional age by 1 year shows that poverty will reduce by 0.07 per cent. Research limitations/implications: The results notwithstanding, policy measures that would reduce the poverty status of the heads of household were suggested. Practical implications Findings can advise thoughtful stakeholders especially the government policy make to redesign favorable labor policies that will enhance local participation in the organized labor entwined with the increase of health care and education. Originality/value: The significant value of the research refers to its focus on the understanding of the extent, nature, and determinants of rural poverty is a precondition for effective public action to reduce deprivation in the rural areas. Due to the fact that lots of researches in poverty has been conducted but least has been focusing the in depth analysis of household poverty, the paper provides an empirical investigation to confirm the significance relationships involved. This can only be achieved by examining the root causes of poverty among households that should be made through grassroots-level planning, thereby drawing roadmap that can mitigate extreme poverty and hunger in the country.