PREVALENCE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PREDICTORS OF COMMUTER UNIONS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Changes have continued to take place in the marriage process given the proportion that is considered married as well as living arrangements after marriage in Nigeria. However, systematic documentation of these changes has been scanty. This study examined the prevalence and socioeconomic predictors of couples in commuter unions in Nigeria. Data was obtained from a nationally representative sample of 8,079 couples from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.  Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were used for the data analysis.  The results show that 47% of couples in Nigeria are commuters. In 30%, males alone commute, and women commute alone in about 10%, whereas both commute in 7%. The likelihood of being in a union where only the man commutes decreases significantly when the woman is aged 25-29 and 35-39. The probability that the woman commutes alone significantly increases when the woman has attained secondary and higher education. The likelihood that both partners commute increases significantly when both the man and woman have attained secondary and higher education, work in clerical/services and sales occupations and are living together (not legally married). The results indicate a need for policy reform and initiatives to address the needs of commuting couples in Nigeria, expand job opportunities, diversify the location of industries, and invest more in transportation infrastructure to lessen the commuting burden of couples in Nigeria.