SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, MATERNAL MORTALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This research was conducted to investigate social infrastructure, maternal mortality and economic growth in Nigeria. Annual time series data covering the period of 1981 to 2019 were utilized. Data for the study were obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the World Bank. The Ex-post facto research design was employed, while the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root was used to analyse the data. The unit root test showed that at levels, the variables were not stationary but became stationary after first differencing. The long-run relationship was further tested using the Johensen co-integration, and the result indicated that, long-run relationship exists between the variables. Also, the ECM result showed that Life Expectancy (LEXP) and per capita income have a positive and significant relation with Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP), while school enrollment showed a negative and insignificant relationship with real gross domestic product (RGDP). From the findings, it is recommended that, in other to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria, governments at all levels should provide social infrastructure to the citizens, especially among the school age pupils in the country.