CULTURE, SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Abstract

This study carried out an analysis of the rural poverty in Osun State, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics, headcount index and the Tobit regression model were the main tools of analysis used for this study. Data used for this study were collected from a total of one hundred and eighty rural households using a threestage random sampling technique. The study shows that the majority of the rural households are married. A majority of the heads of the plural households are older th an forty years of age and take forming as their major source of income. This study shows that rural householdshad an average monthly per capita expenditure ofNl, 600.74 which was not affordable to 45.50% of the households. With a poverty line estimated at N 1,067.00 monthly per capita expenditure, this study shows that about 33% of the rural households in the study area are poor. The major factors affecting the incidence and severity of poverty among the rural households are rural households’ major sources of occupation, monthly income, expenditure and household size. The study recommends the need for increased income generating venture among the rural households.