DETERMINANT OF CHRONIC POVERTY AND LIVELIHOOD STATUS AMONG FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN NORTHWEST, NIGERIA

Investigation was made on the Determinant of poverty among farming household in Northwest of Nigeria, general household survey secondary data was used and data were collected on socio economic characteristics such as age, gender, marriage status, household size, education group, farming income group, purpose of farming, extension service contact, source of farming capital, owned non agricultural farming business, non farm income, total income group and working experience. Dimensions of poverty considered in the study areas include examining core poor, moderate poor, non poor, access to health, house type, roof type, floor type, kitchen location, source of electricity, use of electricity, toilet type, toilet location, refuse dumping type, source of water and fetch water time. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Logit Regression Model. The results indicates approximately 8.11% of the respondent are less than 30years. The results indicates approximately 32.88% of the respondents are between the ages of 30-40 years, while approximately 21.17% of the respondents are in between 41-50 which implies that the respondents are in their productive age. The variables that have significant relationship with poverty in farming household of the respondents includes, Gender, Water source and Access to health, the study points out that Gender has a positive influence on the level of poverty at 5% level of significance. The means that a unit increase in the gender will also lead to increase in the level of poverty which means the more the gender, the more the increment in the level of poverty. Water source also has a positive influence in the level and rate of poverty at 1% level of significance. This implies that a unit increase in the household size will lead to increase in the level of poverty. This also means that as number of the respondents increases, the households wouls probably fall into the level of poverty. Finally, Access to health has a negative influence on poverty level at 1% level of significance.