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| Title: | Gender Inequality and Socioeconomic Development: An Analysis of the Effect on Poverty in Nigeria |
| Author(s): | Aninwagu V. O, Onyema, J. I, Momodu, A. A. & Amadi C. R. |
| Abstract: | Gender inequality is a widespread issue that affects countries globally, with varying level of severity. Nigeria is one such country where gender inequality is deeply rooted and has a substantial impact on women‘s economic well being, despite having the largest economy on the continent and impressive GDP growth. This study examined the relationship between gender inequality and socioeconomic development in Nigeria from 1991 to 2022. The data for the variables were obtained from the NBS, WDI, and the UNDP. The dependent variable used include the poverty rate (POVR), while the independent variables are the ratio of labour force participation for females to males (RLFP), the gross primary school enrolment rate for females to males (GPER), population growth (POPG), and the adolescent fertility rate (ADFR). The data analysis techniques used includes unit root tests, bounds cointegration, and the autoregressive distributed lag estimation method. The KPSS unit root tests shows an admixture of I(1) and I(0) series. Evidence of cointegration was established. The ARDL results showed that the ratio of labour force participation for females to males, the gross primary school enrolment rate for females to males, the adolescent fertility rate has a positive and statistically significant relationship with poverty. Further, the finding shows that population has a negative and statistically significant relationship on poverty rate. Based on these findings, the study recommends among others thing that government should focus on improving job quality rather than just participation. This includes promoting higher-wage, formal employment for women, enforcing equal pay laws, and expanding entrepreneurship support programs; Invest in improving access to and quality of primary education for girls. This can be achieved through scholarships, school feeding programs, and community outreach to encourage parents to send their daughters to school. Additionally, address cultural and social barriers that prevent girls from attending school. It is also recommending that government policies should focus on expanding reproductive health education, increasing contraceptive access, and providing economic incentives (such as scholarships and cash transfers) to delay early childbirth and support young mothers in continuing education. |
| Keywords: | ARDL, KPSS, Ratio of Labour Force Participation for Females to Males, Gross Primary School Enrolment |
| Journal: | Journal of Economic Research and Development Studies Vol 1 No 1 |
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