THE DETERMINANTS OF THE CORRELATES OF POVERTY AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA EVIDENCE FROM BINARY LOGISTIC MODEL

Abstract

Nigeria is one of the endowed countries in Africa in terms of availability of resource, it has vast amount of arable land for agricultural production, therefore, given the numerous economic potentials of this country, if properly harness, the poverty level in the country will have been a history. However, the recent Multidimensional poverty survey (MDIPS, 2022) indicates that poverty is still extremely high in the country, and Sokoto state topped the ladder. Against this background, this paper investigates the determinants of the correlates of poverty in the state. For a sample of 698 respondents, descriptive statistics in form of frequencies and percentages and binary logistic model was employed for the inferential analysis. The result on the aggregate poverty lines and poverty indices measured on the basis of international poverty standard (dollar equivalent) for the state reveals that, 86% of the total respondents were relatively poor, and 56% of the respondents were absolutely poor. The Logistic Regression result indicates a statistically significant negative relationship between accesses to health care services, food security, access to education, and access to clean drinking water; others are access to good sanitation, access good housing, availability of asset, and employment status to poverty for both absolute and relative poverty. This express that, all these variables reduces the likelihood of household falling into poverty, it therefore, recommended that, the government at all level should develop  workable policies/programmes that support the provision of more employment opportunities, qualitative education, and affordable health care services and clean drinking water, which will support human capital development in the state and country at large. To made food available and affordable (food security), it is suggested that, government most provide the most needed security against arm banditry and cattle rustling in and around the state for farmers to go to farms and also made farm inputs such as fertilizer, insecticide, pesticide and credits facilities accessible and affordable to farmers.