Gender dynamics and poverty decomposition in rural Nigeria

Poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is largely a rural phenomenon that is associated with an inequitable distribution of resources among gender groups. This study therefore assessed poverty decomposition in rural Nigeria along gender lines. Data for the study came from the General Household Survey panel data for 2010/2011 (wave 1) and 2015/2016 (wave 3) and were analyzed with Foster Greer and Thorbecke poverty classes and the Shapley decomposition method. Total poverty change and poverty elasticity were -0.0690 and 0.1394, respectively, in women-led households, -0.0973 and 0.1825 in men-led households, and -0.1152 and 0.2906 in gender-balanced households. Between-group (0.9773) elasticity was higher than the within-group (0.1853) component for the poverty headcount, while within-group elasticity was higher than the between-group component for poverty depth and severity. Thus, an effective poverty reduction strategy in Nigeria should be gender-inclusive.