Heterogeneous Impacts of Agricultural Commercialisation on Intra-Household Resource Allocation and Child Outcomes in South South Nigeria

Agricultural commercialisation is posited to improve household welfare but may generate heterogeneous intra-household distributional effects depending on control of income, household bargaining dynamics, and the nature of commodity market integration. In South South Nigeria, where oil palm, cassava, and fisheries commercialisation are expanding, the implications for intra-household resource allocation and child welfare outcomes have not been investigated using contemporary identification strategies. This study examined heterogeneous impacts of agricultural commercialisation on intra-household resource allocation and child outcomes using a household panel dataset of 420 farming households followed across three survey rounds in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States. A structural collective household model was adapted to incorporate commercialisation-induced income and bargaining effects, identified through instrumental variables exploiting commodity price variation and plot-level rainfall instruments. Child welfare was measured using nutritional status, school enrolment, and time use indicators. Results revealed significant heterogeneity in welfare effects: commercialisation increases controlled by women led to substantially larger improvements in child nutrition and education compared to commercialisation income controlled by male household heads. Intra-household bargaining parameters shifted significantly with female income control. The study makes an original theoretical and empirical contribution to the collective household literature applied to the South South Nigerian context, with strong implications for gender-responsive agricultural commercialisation policy. Keywords: agricultural commercialisation, intra-household, resource allocation, child welfare, South South Nigeria.