CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The growing awareness of the welfare impact of good nutrition and income growth has led to a rising interest in welfare indicators that could be derived from the relationship between nutrient intake and income often referred to as nutrient–income elasticity in the literature (Ogundari et al., 2016). This is because nutrition is the fundamental prerequisite for human wellbeing and contributes to human capital development; and the lack of key nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium and vitamin is a common phenomenon in most developing countries as noted by Neeliah and Shankar (2008).

        The importance of nutrition and health to economic growth is confirmed from the policy perspective, given the potential of malnutrition, nutritional deficiencies, pandemics and negative health outcomes. These have the effects of dismantling development plans and even reverse growth successes. This goes to emphasize how critical, improved health and nutritional outcomes are to growth and development targets and strategies of any economy. For example, the second and third goals of the just recently launched seventeen (17) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs - a replacement for the Millennium Development Goals) relate to improving health and nutritional outcomes (United Nations, 2015). Another case in point is the Post-2015 Copenhagen Consensus, wherein 19 critical development targets are identified, 10 of which involves improving food supply, nutritional and health outcomes (Copenhagen Consensus Center, 2015).

Progress in human health, nutritional outcomes and other indices of human development during the 20th century constitutes one of mankind's greatest achievements. Hence, Bloom, Canning and Jamison (2004) report that worldwide transformation in human health in the last 150 years have allowed people to lead longer, healthier, more productive lives, further leading to improved demographic realities and boosted rates of economic growth globally. Eneji, Dickson and Onabe (2013) endorse the view that great takeoffs in economic growth and development of several nations were jump-started by important breakthroughs in public health, diseases control and improved nutritional intake. To buttress this, Ruger, Jamison, Bloom, & Canning, (2012) and Fogel, (2004) assert that, an estimated 30% of per capita growth rate in the British economy between 1780 and 1979 can be explained by health and nutritional improvements. Bloom, Canning, & Jamison, (2004) and Bloom & Williamson, (1998) also show that the East Asian Growth "Miracle", where improvements in health and consequent demographic and labour outcomes preceded and helped catalyzed remarkable economic growth rates in the region, explaining one-third to one-half of the growth rates between 1965 and 1990.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There seems to be a broad consensus that economic growth can definitely lead to improvement in health and nutrition. For example, economic growth could lead to increased availability of food; increased earnings which makes health spending more affordable; and also raises demand for good health services. Higher growth could also imply higher public revenue which can translate to higher investment in health infrastructure. This evidence of health and nutritional acceleration and their attendant gains has not been uniform. It has more successes recorded in developed countries than in developing countries. The higher quality and more egalitarian health care, better health and nutritional status in the developed world, remains elusive to the developing regions of the world, particularly in Nigeria.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study seeks to examine health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria. The objectives of the study are:

1. To determine the relationship between health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria
2. To determine the effect of health and nutrition on the determinants of economic growth
3. To evaluate the contribution of health and nutrition to economic growth in Nigeria
4. To identify the factors affecting health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research questions are:

1. What is the relationship between health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria?
2. What is the effect of health and nutrition on the determinants of economic growth?
3. What are the contributions of health and nutrition to economic growth in Nigeria?
4. What are the factors affecting health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria?

1.5 STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

H0: there is no significant relationship between health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria

H1: there is significant relationship between health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this topic and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a bench mark or guide for other work or study. It avails individuals with information about health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study covers on health, nutrition and economic growth in Nigeria from the year 1989 to the year 2023

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection.

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Health: Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. It's more than just the absence of disease or infirmity. Health also includes the ability to function in the face of changing circumstances

Nutrition: Nutrition is the process of consuming, absorbing, and using nutrients from food to support the body's growth, development, and maintenance. It is also the study of how food affects the health and growth of the body.

Economic growth: Economic growth can be defined as the increase in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product, or real GDP