Estimating the Multidimensional Poverty among Rice Producers in North Central, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the multidimensional poverty among rice producers in North Central, Nigeria. A simple random sampling approach was employed. Data were collected from 200 rice growers (100 per state) through a validated questionnaire. The analysis analysesutilized were descriptive statistics, multidimensional poverty indices (MPI), Logit regression, and t-test statistics to address four objectives: describing the socio-economic and farm-specific characteristics, estimating the poverty indices, evaluating the dimensional contributions to MPI, and identifying the predictors of multidimensional poverty. The results revealed that 70.07% of rice growers are multidimensional poor, with an MPI of 0.4701, driven by deprivations in standard of living (42.4%), health (33.7%), and education (23.9%), respectively. The significant predictors of poverty include education, household size, farming experience, and food expenditure (p < 0.05), while age and credit access were non-significant. The t-test confirmed the rice farming’s profitability, with mean returns (₦1,357,090) significantly exceeding costs (₦577,140.23) per hectare (t = 29.52, p < 0.05). These findings reject the null hypotheses that rice growers are not multidimensional poor, also that the socio-economic factors do not significantly influence poverty status, and rice farming is not profitable. The high poverty incidence underscores the need for targeted interventions addressing the living standards, health, and education, alongside enhancing access to inputs and markets to sustain profitability. Policy recommendations include improving rural infrastructure, promoting education, and supporting financial inclusion to alleviate multidimensional poverty among rice producers.