Modelling the Relationship Between Information Poverty and Human Development Outcomes in Rural Nigeria: A Multilevel Analysis

This study developed and empirically tested a model of the relationship between information poverty and human development outcomes in rural communities across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. Information poverty, characterised by limited access to relevant, accurate, and timely information, is theorised as both a cause and a consequence of broader socioeconomic deprivation. A mixed-methods design integrating household survey data, secondary data from the National Bureau of Statistics, and qualitative community narratives was employed. Multilevel regression modelling was used to examine the independent effect of information poverty indicators, including library access, mobile internet connectivity, literacy, and community information infrastructure, on composite human development outcomes at the individual and community levels. Data were gathered from 1,200 households across twelve states representing all geopolitical zones. The study found that information poverty exerted a statistically significant negative effect on human development outcomes even after controlling for income and education levels. Zone-level variations in the strength of this relationship were explained by differences in government investment in information infrastructure. The study makes an original theoretical and empirical contribution to information poverty research. Keywords: information poverty, human development, rural Nigeria, multilevel modelling, geopolitical zones.