Livelihood and Income Diversification among Rural Households in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Evidence from Simpson's Diversity Index
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47514/kjg.2026.08.01.067Keywords:
Rural households, livelihood diversification, income diversification, agricultural income, non-agricultural income, Simpson’s Index of Diversity, rural development, poverty alleviation.Abstract
Rural households often combine agricultural and non-agricultural activities to reduce livelihood risk and stabilize income. This study assessed the extent and spatial pattern of livelihood and income diversification among rural households in Kaduna State, Nigeria, using household survey data collected across nine local government areas (LGAs) in three senatorial districts. A multistage sampling procedure produced a target sample of 400 households; Simpson's index of diversity (SID) analysis included 382 households with complete income information. Household income was grouped into agricultural and non-agricultural sources, and the SID was used to measure the number and relative distribution of income sources. Agricultural activities accounted for 71.6% of total household income, while non-agricultural activities contributed 28.4%. The unweighted mean of the three district-level SID values was 0.372, corresponding to moderate diversification in the study classification. Kaduna North recorded the highest district-level SID (0.512), followed by Kaduna Central (0.340) and Kaduna South (0.263). At the household level, 37.4% had low diversification, 31.8% had moderate diversification, 18.6% had high diversification, 5.2% had very high diversification, and 7.0% had very low diversification. The findings show that diversification is widespread but uneven, while agriculture remains the dominant livelihood base. Policies that improve access to productive nonfarm opportunities, finance, skills, markets, and rural infrastructure may help households move from low-return coping activities toward more stable and remunerative livelihood portfolios.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Joshua Umaru, Emmanuel Parah Bako, Zubairu Yunusa Lawal (Author)
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