Sustainable Development Goals and Rural Household Welfare in Cross State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study examined the influence of selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the welfare of rural households in Cross River State, Nigeria, with specific attention to three dimensions of welfare: household income, nutritional well-being, and healthcare outcomes. Guided by three objectives, the study investigated the influence of access to quality education on household income, the effect of employment opportunities on nutritional well-being, and the relationship between access to clean water and healthcare outcomes among rural households. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, anchored on Social Capital Theory, and drew a sample of 317 respondents from a population of 1,524 registered rural households across the three senatorial districts of Cross River State, using a multistage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was administered, out of which 304 copies were correctly completed and retrieved, representing a 95.9 per cent response rate. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. Findings revealed that access to quality education, particularly teacher qualification and improvement in educational access over time, significantly influenced household income (R² = 0.976, F = 2980.164, p < 0.001). Employment opportunities, especially youth employment and the provision of regular income, significantly improved nutritional well-being (p < 0.001 for all indicators). Access to clean water was also very strongly and positively correlated with healthcare outcomes (r = 0.949 to 0.987, p < 0.001). The study concludes that SDG-aligned interventions in education, employment, and water provision are critical levers for improving rural household welfare, and recommends that policymakers prioritise teacher quality, youth-focused employment programmes, and reliable clean water provision as integrated strategies for sustainable rural development.