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Private Wage Returns to Schooling in Nigeria: 1996-1999

Author

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  • Adebayo B. Aromolaran

    (Economic Growth Center, Yale University)

Abstract

In the last two decades, primary and secondary school enrollment rates have declined in Nigeria while enrollment rates in post-secondary school have increased. This paper estimates from the General Household Survey for Nigeria the private returns to schooling associated with levels of educational attainment for wage and self-employed workers. The estimates for both men and women are small at primary and secondary levels, 2 to 4 percent, but are substantial at post-secondary education level, 10-15 percent. These schooling return estimates may account for the recent trends in enrollments. Thus, increasing public investment to encourage increased attendance in basic education is not justifiable on grounds of private efficiency, unless investments to increase school quality have higher private returns. With high private returns to post-secondary schooling, students at this level should pay tuition, to recoup more of the public costs of schooling, which may be redistributed to poor families through scholarships.

Suggested Citation

  • Adebayo B. Aromolaran, 2002. "Private Wage Returns to Schooling in Nigeria: 1996-1999," Working Papers 849, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
    • Handle: RePEc:egc:wpaper:849
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    File URL: http://www.econ.yale.edu/growth_pdf/cdp849.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aromolaran, Adebayo B., 2004. "Female Schooling, Non-Market Productivity, and Labor Market Participation in Nigeria," Center Discussion Papers 28451, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    2. Issofou NJIFEN & Aicha PEMBOURA, 2020. "Hétérogénéité dans les rendements de l’éducation au Cameroun : une estimation en présence des biais de sélection et d’endogénéité," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 52, pages 105-126.
    3. Geeta Kingdon & Justin Sandefur & Francis Teal, 2006. "Labour Market Flexibility, Wages and Incomes in Sub‐Saharan Africa in the 1990s," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 18(3), pages 392-427.

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    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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