From Basil Obasi, Abuja
Report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its latest General Household Survey, indicated that mobile phone recharge cards expenditure constitutes the highest household expenditure in Nigeria.
The NBS Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) Integrated Surveys on Agriculture General Household Survey Panel 2015/2016, published by the NBS in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank, presents a comprehensive analysis of welfare indicators and socio-economic characteristics.
According to the report, phone recharge cards accounted for the highest national mean expenditure, with a monthly average household expenditure of N17,413, representing 73 per cent of total household budget, while expenditure on soap and detergents was 14 per cent, making these the items of highest priority in an average Nigerian family.
The survey also revealed that about 89 per cent of Nigerians have access to a mobile phone, and access to the Internet was more prevalent in urban areas than in rural areas, the most common uses being to send and receive emails.
The report further stated that over 68.5 per cent of householders own the houses they dwell in compared to 16.6 per cent of households who live in rented homes.
It further showed that although 63.6 per cent of householders live in homes with three or more rooms, the quality of the building materials remained poor.
The report added that, countrywide, more than 59.3 per cent of households have electricity for an average of 35.8 hours per week, of which 86 per cent of urban households have access to electricity compared to only 41.1 per cent of rural households.
On consumption patterns, it stated that oil and fat products, along with grains and flours, are the most commonly consumed food items, with over 96 per cent of households consuming food in these groups.
The NBS report noted that householders were also asked about their experience with food security and their history of economic shocks. Similar to findings in Wave 2, reported food shortages from this wave are seasonal, with January and February posing the biggest risk of food insecurity, it stated.