Status and Determinants of Farm Household Poverty in South East, Nigeria

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation faces a persistent challenge of poverty with over half of its population classified as multi-dimensionally poor. To address this global concern which is in tandem with SDG 1 (zero poverty), this research was designed to investigate the status of farm household, the determinants of poverty and coping strategies adopted by the affected households in the South Eastern Nigerian. Primary data were randomly collected from 140 farm households in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, South West Nigeria. The cross-sectional data obtained were analyzed with descriptive statistics, multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and OLS regression models. Four functional forms of the OLS multiple regression models were estimated including the linear, semi-log, double log and exponential models. The best fit model was selected based on standard econometric criteria. The semi-log model was deemed the best model and therefore used for the final analysis. It was found that majority of the household heads are not well educated, thus making education a serious factor in the study area. The mean age of the household heads was 50 years with mean monthly income of about 543.82 US dollars (based on 2014 exchange rate of Nigerian Naira to USD). Empirical results of the multidimensional poverty based on 10 poverty indicators shows that the sampled population is poor with a weighted sum of MPI greater than 30. It was found that sex of household head, primary occupation of the household head, household size and household income were the major determinants of poverty. The major coping strategies adopted to cope with the household poverty are, buying of cheap items and changing consumption patterns to adjust to available income. The study recommends increased promotion of family planning usage, gender inclusive interventions and establishment of tailor-made poverty alleviation programs that address food insecurity and poverty. To boost the income earning capacities of farm households, government and donor agencies are recommended to provide social protection services to farm households. More research is needed on how farmers can access technologies that will help them improve agricultural productivity, promote their chances of participating in agri-preneurship.