Abstract

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has the statutory mandate to provide socio-economic data on a wide range of issues, including poverty reduction programmes for informed decision making, policy formulation and implementation. Thus, the essence of adequate measurement and production of relevant evidence-based statistics on poverty and welfare of Nigerians cannot be overemphasized. The various laudable programmes of government aimed at combating poverty such as NEEDS, 7-Point Agenda, NAPEP, NDE, MDG amongst many others required tracking, monitoring and evaluation.

The history of Nigeria Living Standard Survey (NLSS) dates back to three periods. The pre-1993 period, 1993-1999 period, and the 2000-2008 period. Each of these periods are unique in their own way. During the pre-1993 period, there were no national efforts at monitoring poverty and the National Consumer Survey (NCS) as NLSS was then known approached the measurement of poverty with different objectives. However, during the 1993-1999 periods, national effort started in May 1993 when the NBS (then FOS) collaborated with the World Bank to conduct several national consumer surveys. This period marked the beginning of a search for data.

The search further led the World Bank to collaborate with the NBS and National Planning Commission under the National Committee on poverty to produce the first ever poverty report in Nigeria. Using the NCS data of 1985-1992, three draft reports were produced leading to what is called "the evolution of poverty and welfare in Nigeria 1985-1992". This was followed by the "Poverty Profile for Nigeria 1980-1996" published in 1999 and was made possible through the World Bank support to NBS for the NCS of 1996 and the extended analysis to the NCS data of 1980/81.

With the search still on, the 2000-2008 periods, witnessed an era of influx of support from development partners for the measurement, monitoring and evaluation of welfare through NLSS and CWIQ in Nigeria. The NLSS used the expenditure approach to measure, monitor, and evaluate poverty. Thus, the NBS again through the support of the WB, DFID, EU and UNDP enlarged the implementation of the NCS of 2004, referred to as Nigeria Living Standard Survey. The support resulted to the emergence of two reports, a standalone poverty profile of Nigeria 2004 and the Nigeria Living Standard Survey 2004 report.

The Harmonized Nigeria Living Standard Survey (HNLSS) is an instrument for regular monitoring of welfare and social trends for different population groups of the society especially the poor. It is hoped that this report will be useful especially to the Federal Government of Nigeria, All states in Nigeria, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), and International Development Partners such as the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, and other institutions involved in monitoring welfare and poverty across the globe.

Geographic coverage

National Zone State Local Government Sector (Urban/Rural)

Analysis unit

Household and individual

Universe

Household members

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample design employed for HNLSS Survey 2008/09 is a 2-stage cluster sample design in which Enumeration Areas (EAs) or Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) constitutes the 1st stage sample while the Housing units (HUs) from the EAs make up the 2nd stage sample or the Ultimate Sampling Units (USUs)

Sampling Frame The enumeration areas (EAs) as demarcated by the National Population Commission (NPopC) for the 2006 population census served as the sampling frame for the HNLSS 2008/09.

Sample Size Sample sizes must meet some minimal requirement in order to obtain reliable estimate. Hence, for HNLSS Survey 2008/09, the sample size varies from state to state depending on the number of Local Government Areas (LGAs) in each state. Ten (10) EAs were selected in each LGA making a total of 7,774 EAs to be canvassed for throughout the federation from the 774 LGAs including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Selection Procedure The 7,740 EAs were selected directly from the population of the EAs in the NPopC with equal probability of selection. Prior to selection, all the contiguous EAs were arranged in serpentine order in each LGA of the state. This arrangement ensured that there was no overlapping

A total of 77,390 households were covered from a sample of 77,400 households giving the survey coverage rate of 99.9 percent. Of all the six zones, it was only SW zone that had the least response rate of 99.9 percent. The response rate in the remaining 5 zone was 100.0 percent each. Table 1.2 Status of Retrieval of Records by Zone and State attached to the report in External Resources

AS PER DATA SET At households level, out of the 77,390 retrieved, only 73,329 were scanable.

Estimation Procedure Let E be the number of EAs in the state e be the number of selected in the state For a given stratum or domain, the estimate of the variance of a rate, r is given by

Var(r) = (se)2 = 1 ?(ri - r)2 K(k -1)i=1 Where K is the number of clusters in the stratum or estimation domain r is the weighted estimate calculated from the entire sample of clusters in the stratum ri is equal to Kr - (K-1) r(i), where r(i) is re-weighted estimate calculated from the reduced sample of K-1 clusters

To obtain an estimate of the variance at a higher level, say, at the national level, the process is repeated over all strata, with K redefined to refer to the total number of clusters (as opposed to the number in the stratum)

Estimation of Mean Let N be the total number of Housing Units listed for the selected EA n be the number of selected Housing Units in the selected EA Yij be the value of element from selected HUs of the selected EA Y be the estimate of sample total

Therefore, for a proportion estimate, we have . yij .xi

Sampling deviation

No deviation

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire is a structured questionnaire (Scanable) developed as a joint effort of the National Bureau of Statistics, the World Bank and National Planning Commission. After series of meeting and two consultative workshops.

SECTION 1: HOUSEHOLD ROSTER SECTION 2: EDUCATION - PART 2A: GENERAL EDUCATION SECTION 2: EDUCATION - PART 2B: LITERACY AND APPRENTICESHIP SECTION 3: HEALTH - PART 3A: HEALTH CONDITION SECTION 3: HEALTH-PART 3B: MALARIA SECTION 3: HEALTH - PART 3C: DISABILITY AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING SECTION 3: HEALTH - PART 3D: PREVENTIVE HEALTH AND VACCINATION SECTION 3: HEALTH - PART 3E: FERTILITY, PRENATAL CARE AND CONTRACEPTIVE USE SECTION 3: HEALTH - PART 3F: HIV/AIDS SECTION 3: HEALTH - PART 3G: GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE SECTION 4: EMPLOYMENT AND TIME USE-PART A:SCREENING QUESTIONS & LIST OF OCCUPATIONS SECTION 4: EMPLOYMENT AND TIME USE-PART B:CHARACTERISTICS OF MAIN WAGE EMPLOYMENT SECTION 4: EMPLOYMENT AND TIME USE-PART D:UNEMPLOYMENT & EMPLOYMENT SEARCH IN THE PASS SEVEN DAYS SECTION 4: EMPLOYMENT AND TIME USE-PART E:HOUSEHOLD CHORES SECTION 4: EMPLOYMENT AND TIME USE-PART F:TRAINING/PROGRAM PARTICIPATION SECTION 4: EMPLOYMENT AND TIME USE-PART G:CONSOLIDATED DESIRED EMPLOYMENT SECTION 5: MIGRATION SECTION 6: HOUSING PART A: TYPE OF DWELLING SECTION 6: HOUSING PART B: OCCUPANCY STATUS OF DWELLING SECTION 6: HOUSING PART C: HOUSING EXPENDITURE (RENT) SECTION 6: HOUSING PART D: PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DWELLING SECTION 6: HOUSING PART E: ENERGY SECTION 6: HOUSING PART F: WATER AND SANITATION SECTION 6: HOUSING PART G: ACCESS TO THE NEAREST SOCIAL AMENITY SECTION 7: OWNERSHIP OF DURABLE ASSETS SECTION 8: CRIME AND SECURITY SECTION 9: SUBJECTIVE POVERTY

Cleaning operations

Headquarters Training of Trainers (T0T) The first level of training at the headquarter consisted of three categories of officers, namely, the trainers at the zonal level, fieldwork monitoring officers and data processing officers who were crucial to the successful implementation of the survey.

The intensive and extensive training lasted for five days. Zonal Level Training The training took place in the six zonal FOS [now NBS] offices representing the six geo-political zones of the country. These are Ibadan (South West) Enugu (South East), Calabar (South South), Jos (North Central), Maiduguri (North East) and Kaduna (North West).

The composition of the team from each State to the six different zones were the State officer, one scrutiny officer and two field officers, making four persons per state. Two resource persons from the headquarters did the training with the zonal controllers participating and contributing during the five-day regimented and intensive training.

State Level Training The third level training was at the State level. A total of 40 officers were trained, comprising 20 enumerators, 10 editing staff and 10 supervisors.

The State Statistical Agencies, as a matter policy, contributed 5-10 enumerators. The ten-day exercise was also regimented, intensive and extensive because the enumerators were also crucial for effective implementation of data collection.

Response rate

Total of 77,390 households were covered from a sample of 77,400 households giving the survey coverage rate of 99.9 percent

As per data set at households level, out of the 77,390 retrieved, only 73,329 were analysable giving 94.7 percent.

At sector level (Urban/Rural), 25.2% were recorded for Urban while Rural recorded 74.8%.

Data appraisal

The data processing of the HNLSS records was done at