Fuel Subsidy Removal and Dietary Diversity Among Rural Households in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Abstract
The removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria has raised concerns about its effects on household welfare, particularly in rural areas where livelihoods are highly dependent on fuel-influenced market systems. This study examined fuel subsidy removal and dietary diversity among rural households in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, it assessed the dietary diversity status using the Household Dietary Diversity Score , analyzed changes in household food expenditure, examined access to diverse food groups, and explored the relationship between subsidy-induced food price changes and dietary diversity. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 180 rural household heads across three agricultural zones, with data collected via structured questionnaire on the Open Data Kit platform. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, McNemar’s test, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were employed. Findings revealed that 50.0% of households had medium dietary diversity, 36.1% high, and 13.9% low. Following fuel subsidy removal, mean total monthly food expenditure increased from ?45,000 to ?55,000, with significant rises across all food categories (p < 0.001). Access to vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish declined significantly (p < 0.05), while cereals and spices remained unaffected. Food price increases negatively correlated with dietary diversity (r = -0.42, p < 0.001), whereas higher household income and education mitigated the impact, and larger household size constrained it. The study concludes that fuel subsidy removal has adversely affected dietary diversity and increased household food expenditure, exacerbating nutritional vulnerability. It recommends community nutrition education, targeted social protection measures, improved access to nutrient-rich foods, and responsive food pricing policies to safeguard rural households’ dietary quality.
Keywords
Fuel subsidy removaldietary diversityhousehold food expenditurerural householdsAkwa Ibom State
References
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