Assessing Income Inequality in North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates income inequality in rural North-East Nigeria (NEN), using the Harmonized Nigerian Living Standards Survey (HNLSS) data of 2009/2010. Data were analyzed using; descriptive statistics, Gini index and Tobit regression methods. The results indicate that most of the respondents were in their middle age accounting for 35.2% and approximately 68 % with no formal education.  Inequality among  rural folks as reflected by the Gini index of 0.85 is very high,  The tobit results shows that household size, education, age and marital status were all significant at 1% levels. It is therefore recommended that Government should provide an enabling environment for learning to help household improve on their human capital for a sustained poverty reduction.

Keywords: Inequality, North- east Nigeria, Poverty, Rural, Tobit model.