Urban-Rural Differentials in Socioeconomic Characteristics, Agents of Modernity, and Natural Resource Utilization: Towards ‘Greener’ Families in Nigeria

 

Muyiwa Oladosun¹ Samuel Okposin²  Oluyomi Ola-David^3 
1Covenant University <fso8260@gmail.com>
²Covenant University (Former) <sammweh@yahoo.co.uk>
³Covenant University <olu.oladavid@covenantuniversity.edu.ng>

 

 

Abstract

This paper focuses on factors influencing natural resource utilization among households in Nigeria with a view to conserving natural resource and promoting ‘greener’ households in the future. Dependent variables included, house floor main materials, house wall main materials, house roof main materials, and type of cooking fuels. Key independent variables were, age, region, residence, education, household size, number of co-wives, type of work, and agents of modernity were household access to; electricity, frequency listened to radio, and frequency watched TV. Data analysis differentiated between 23,403 rural and 15,545 urban women aged 15-49 who participated in the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) using logistics regression technique. Findings showed that odds of using finished materials for house compared to rudimentary/natural materials, or the odds of using refined vs. natural cooking fuel varied significantly in both rural and urban areas with respect to key background characteristics i.e. age, region, education, household size, type of work, and agents of modernity namely access to; electricity, radio, and TV. In addition, the odds were significant by number of co-wives, and husband’s age only in the rural areas. These key determinants of household natural resource use need be factored into policies and programs tailored to achieve natural resource conservation in the long-run.

Keywords: natural resource utilization, household resource, agents of modernity, greener families, rural-urban differentials, socioeconomic characteristics