Maternal Mortality, Child Mortality, Life Expectancy and Economic Growth: The Nigerian Experience

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of maternal mortality, child mortality and life expectancy on the Nigerian economic growth covering a period of 30 years spanning 1990 to 2019. In addition, the study adopted a theoretical framework of Solow Growth Theory and its production function was later modified for the empirical analysis of this study. The Classical Least Square was used to estimates the relationship of the empirical model while the Granger Causality Test was used to test the direction of causality among the model parameters. Results of the analyses revealed that maternal health, infant mortality and population growth exerts positive impact on economic growth with infant mortality found to be statistically insignificant while under-five mortality and life expectancy exerts a negative impact on economic growth in Nigeria with life expectancy exhibiting a statistical significance. The Granger Causality test results revealed unidirectional causality from gross domestic product to life expectancy and maternal mortality, also unidirectional causality from population growth to gross domestic product and from under-five mortality to gross domestic product. The test also revealed there is no causality between infant mortality and gross domestic product over the study period in Nigeria. Therefore, the study recommended that government should formulate plans and strategies at reducing child mortality at all its level (federal, state and local) to ensure economic growth among others.