Can We Establish Predictable Trends in Quality of Life in Kaduna State and Nigeria?

Abstract

Poor living conditions are common in both urban and rural areas of Nigeria. The nation’s poor quality of life is exemplified by high poverty and large unemployment rate of 35%, low longevity of 54 years, high illiteracy level and insecurity, particularly in the northern part of the country. Kaduna state, in the north-western part of Nigeria, is a trade centre and a major transportation hub
for the surrounding agricultural areas. The state is also known as the center of learning, as evident from the numerous  educational institutions. Therefore, this paper examined if there are some predictable trends in the quality of life in Kaduna State and Nigeria. The study sourced data from 2018/2019 Nigeria Living Standards Survey (NLSS) by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The result shows that Kaduna State has higher dependency ratio and mean household size than the Nigeria’s average. The findings also indicated that the percentage of working age population involving in wage employment in Kaduna State is slightly lower than the national average. These results highlight the need for sustained efforts by government and non-government institutions towards improving the quality of life in Kaduna State, in order to create jobs and attain inclusive growth.