The Nexus Between Adult Education and Sustainable Livelihood Development in the Niger Delta

This study investigates the nexus between adult education participation and sustainable livelihood development outcomes in Niger Delta communities, applying the sustainable livelihoods framework to examine how adult education strengthens multiple livelihood capital dimensions. The Niger Delta presents a complex livelihood context shaped by oil industry environmental degradation, community-company conflict, and significant fishery and agricultural productivity declines. Adult education programmes that build human, social, and financial capital offer a pathway to livelihood resilience in this challenging environment. This study uses the sustainable livelihoods framework as both a conceptual and analytical tool, mapping adult education contributions across human, social, financial, physical, and natural capital dimensions. Panel data from 300 households in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States are collected at baseline and 18-month follow-up, comparing adult education participant and non-participant households. Difference-in-differences estimation and structural equation modelling are applied. Findings reveal that adult education participation significantly improves human capital, measured through literacy and vocational skills, and social capital, through cooperative membership and community network participation. Financial capital improvements are modest and mediated by microfinance access. Physical and natural capital outcomes show no significant programme effect, reflecting the limits of education interventions in addressing infrastructure and environmental degradation. The study concludes that adult education strengthens human and social capital most directly in the Niger Delta. It recommends complementary livelihood support investments to translate education gains into broader livelihood improvements.

Keywords: sustainable livelihoods, adult education, Niger Delta, livelihood capital, community development.