SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF CHILD MORTALITY IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Child mortality rate is one measure of the level of economic development and standard of living of a nation. This study empirically examined the effects of some important socioeconomic determinants on child mortality in Nigeria from the period 1981 to 2019. The dependent variable is child mortality rate. The explanatory variables are Gross domestic product per capita, public health expenditure, education expenditure, inflation rate and unemployment rate. The Dickey-fuller Generalised Least Square (DF-GLS ) test was used to test for the stationarity of the variables and they were found to be stationary at first difference. Then Johansen co-integration technique was used to establish if the stationary variables are co-integrated in the long run. Further, Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) is employed to correct any form of disequilibrium in the short run. Findings reveal that Gross Domestic Product per capita and Inflation rate are major determinants of child mortality in Nigeria. However, although public health expenditure, education expenditure and unemployment are catalysts of child mortality, they were not major determinants. It was therefore advised that policies that improve inflation rate and gross domestic product per capita, such as specific monetary and fiscal policies, should be implemented to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of infant and child mortality in the remaining years. This analysis was based on data extracted from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin and World Development Indicators (WDI).

Key words: Infant mortality, child mortality, Income Level, Public Health Expenditure, Inflation rate, Unemployment.