Rise of female breadwinners, remittance inflows… highlights of NBS household survey

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the 5th General Household Survey panel (GHS-panel) on November 21, providing a comprehensive analysis of welfare indicators and socio-economic characteristics.

The NBS also said the report will strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to generate a sustainable system for producing accurate and timely information on households.

“Since its inception, five waves of the GHS-Panel have been conducted, with the latest, Wave 5 (2023/24), serving as a comprehensive data repository and a powerful instrument for understanding the impact of various shocks on household welfare across time,” NBS said.

“In Wave 5, a total of 4,715 households were interviewed across 518 Enumeration Areas, allowing for comprehensive data collection on consumption and agricultural activities through biannual visits.”

The report was a collaborative effort involving the NBS, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank. Here are some interesting highlights of the report.

RISE OF FEMALE BREADWINNERS IN HOUSEHOLDS

Capturing demography and migration trends in the report, the NBS said 22.3 percent of households in Nigeria are headed by women, marking a 3.7 percentage point increase from the previous survey.

“Additionally, female-headed households are more common in urban areas (24.9 percent) compared to rural areas (21.1 percent),” NBS said.

The bureau said among individuals aged 15 and older, one in four expressed a desire to leave their community.

Regarding national identity numbers (NIN), the bureau reported low possession rates, with only 40.2 percent of respondents having a NIN, while just 18.3 percent of those with a NIN are aware of the digital NIN app.

“Conversely, younger age groups (zero to five and six to nine) show the lowest percentages, likely due to lower registration rates for children,” the report added.

HOMEOWNERSHIP IS HIGHER IN RURAL AREAS

The NBS survey showed that 70.4 percent of households own their homes — with rural ownership at 80.1 percent compared to 49.1 percent in urban areas.

On energy sources, the bureau said 65 percent of households rely on traditional cooking methods while a large proportion of households (22.6 percent) use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas.

The NBS also said Nigerian households experience electricity blackouts about 6.4 times weekly on average.

FOOD CONSUMPTION

The NBS said spices and condiments were the most consumed-food items both during the post-planting season (98.4 percent) and the post-harvest season (97.5 percent).

The bureau stated that vegetables, grains, and flours were also widely consumed, with more than 96 percent of households reporting consumption of these items.

DIETARY DIVERSITY

The statistics firm said households in the north-east and north-west consume grains and flours an average of 6.5 and 5.9 days per week, respectively.

This, the report said, reflects a reliance on staple grains like rice, maize, and millet.

“In contrast, meat, fish, and animal products used as spices and beverages are consumed less frequently at national level (0.7 and 1.1 days per week, respectively),” NBS said.

“Likewise, fruits and dairy products are consumed less frequently across all zones, though slightly more often in the south-east and south-south zones.”

HUNGER IN THE LAND

The bureau said approximately two out of three households indicated being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days.

“Furthermore, 12.3 percent reported that at least one person in the household went without eating for a whole day, and 20.8 percent of households had to borrow food or rely on help from friends or relatives,” NBS said.

The report said in the past 12 months, more than one-third of households faced food shortages, which occurred more frequently in the months of June, July, and August.

REMITTANCE INFLOWS

The NBS report said four out of 10 households reported domestic remittances in the past 12 months, with 6.3 percent reporting international remittances.

Income source, according to the bureau, was more prevalent among urban households (43.8 percent) than rural households (38 percent).

“Other sources of income included in-kind gifts (9.1 percent) and cash transfers (5.2 percent) from people in the same community, rental property income (4.4 percent), income from interest on savings (3.2 percent), and pension income (2.7 percent),” NBS said.

AGRICULTURE

The bureau said approximately seven out of 10 households are engaged in crop farming and 42.8 percent are engaged in livestock activities.

Regarding land tenure, the NBS said Nigerian households hold an average of 2.4 plots of land with an average plot size of 0.5 hectares.

The report added that the most common means of acquiring land is through family inheritance.