Multidimensional Poverty among Nigerian Households: Sustainable Development Implications

Nigeria currently has the highest number of people living on less than USD1.90 a day, becoming what some analysts labeled “the poverty capital of the world.“ This article explores the multiple dimensions and predictors of household poverty in Nigeria using the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey data (n = 40,427). Results from Chi-square analysis indicate significant regional disparities in multidimensional poverty, which is endemic in the Northwest and Northeast regions that constitute 75.3% of Nigeria’s poorest households, 62.3% of household heads without formal education, and about half (49.7%) of households lacking access to electricity. Logistic regression results show that access to electricity is the most significant predictor of poverty in Nigeria, with an odds ratio (OR) of 10.46, followed by education (OR = 1.99), place of residence (OR = 0.37), land ownership (OR = 0.58), livestock ownership (0.57), number of bedrooms (1.32), and gender (0.73). Other significant predictors are drinking water sources, sanitation facilities, cooking fuel, and housing conditions. Reducing multidimensional poverty requires improving electricity supply and human development interventions in education, water, sanitation, and healthcare, targeting deprived households. These are essential for achieving sustainable development.