Marginal benefit incidence analysis of public spending on health services in Nigeria

The study estimated the marginal benefit incidence (MBI) of government
spending on the health service in Nigeria. Benefit incidence (BIA) and Pro-
gressivity of Benefit (PB) were analysed by using the Distributive Analysis
Stata Package (DASP) 2.1 procedure as indicated in Araar and Duclos
(2009). MBI was estimated following the procedure of Ajwad and Wodon
(2007). The study made use of the data from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics
(NBS) most recent Living Standard Household Survey conducted in 2004. The
data on child vaccination, prenatal and postnatal consultation as contained in
the Living Standard Household Survey were used to achieve the objectives of
this study. The results of the analysis show that spending on health provision
in Nigeria is not pro-poor. Marginal benefit incidence of spending on health
services in Nigeria indicates that the poorest group will benefit more on the
health services in which their current participation (accessibility) rate is high.
The study concludes by making recommendations that can accelerate the
speed at which the poor benefit more from particular health services by organ-
ising increases in access to health services in Nigeria.