22.3% households in Nigeria have female breadwinners – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has stated that 22.3 per cent of households in Nigeria are headed by women, marking a 3.7 percentage point increase from the previous survey.

These were part of the findings in the 5th General Household Survey panel (GHS-panel) released by the NHS over the weekend, providing a comprehensive analysis of welfare indicators and socio-economic characteristics.

“Additionally, female-headed households are more common in urban areas (24.9 percent) compared to rural areas (21.1 percent),” NBS said.

“Since its inception, five waves of the GHS-Panel have been conducted, with the latest, Wave 5 (2023/24), serving as a comprehensive data repository and a powerful instrument for understanding the impact of various shocks on household welfare across time,” NBS said.

“In Wave 5, a total of 4,715 households were interviewed across 518 Enumeration Areas, allowing for comprehensive data collection on consumption and agricultural activities through biannual visits.”

The report was a collaborative effort involving the NBS, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank.

The report continues;

“Additionally, female-headed households are more common in urban areas (24.9 percent) compared to rural areas (21.1 percent),” NBS said.

Regarding national identity numbers (NIN), the bureau reported low possession rates, with only 40.2 percent of respondents having a NIN, while just 18.3 percent of those with a NIN are aware of the digital NIN app.

“Conversely, younger age groups (zero to five and six to nine) show the lowest percentages, likely due to lower registration rates for children,” the report added.