Exploring the Determinants of Child Mortality in Nigeria: Insights from Multiple Econometric Techniques

Over the past several years, global infant and under-five mortality rates have decreased significantly, with advanced economies experiencing single-digit mortality rates. However, Nigeria continues to grapple with rising infant mortality rates, which remain the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. The present study offers new perspectives on the determinants of child mortality in a developing country, Nigeria, from 1980 to 2021. The study analyses the child mortality determinants by deploying different econometric strategies: autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and canonical cointegration regression (CCR) procedures. The empirical outcomes indicate that the increasing child mortality rate in Nigeria is driven by rising fertility rates among women. While improvements in educational attainment for females, immunization vaccines, nutrition, and economic growth are critical for reducing child mortality in Nigeria. The estimated outcomes of the ARDL technique were robust to the alternative estimation techniques employed in this study. This study offers important implications for policymakers in Nigeria regarding the design and formulation of sustainable universal health policies.