Nigeria, 1981-82 (WFS)

The following description of this survey appeared in the 1991 edition of Dynamic Database: A Catalogue of Survey Data Files, Voorburg: International Statistical Institute.

Basic Information

• Name of survey: Nigeria Fertility Survey
• Executive agency: National Population Bureau
• Date of fieldwork: 1981-82
• Universe: All women, 15-49
• Coverage: National, 100%
• Size: 9727
• Weights: Weighted
• Contents: WFS Core Mark 1 + FOTCAF module
• Supplementary surveys: Household members (n = 49,333, weighted); Community (n = 183 rural clusters)

Additional Information

The 250 enumeration areas (EAs)of the Nigeria Fertility Survey are a subsample of the EAs used for the National Demographic Sample Survey 1980. It was originally intended as a self-weighting sample but problems of implementation led to the abandoning of this. The final sample includes weights to allow for the unequal probabilities of selection. The household and individual interviews were conducted on the same visit by the same (female) interviewers. The questionnaire was translated into six languages.

The household schedule ascertained the basic characteristics of the household members together with the environmental conditions of the house and information on possessions. A detailed set of derived household composition variables have been added to the file.

As in the Benin WFS survey, a modification of the FOTCAF module was used, whereby: (1) information was gathered about live-birth rather than pregnancy intervals; (2) provision was made to record information about the third to last interval, if this interval started within the five years preceding the survey. The latter amendment removes much of the selection bias inherent in the standard FOTCAF module which is restricted to the last and last-but-one intervals.

Place of and assistance at delivery of recently born children is recorded. The existence of grandsons and granddaughters of the respondent is recorded, together with the age of oldest. The purpose of these data is to test the hypothesis that the attainment of grandmotherhood is associated with terminal abstinence.

The community survey covers availability of facilities (post office, health services, police, courts, bank) and provision of services (water, electricity, fuel, transport, specified goods).

Release Conditions

The data for Nigeria are available only with the following conditions:
(1) The data on ethnicity may not be used.
(2) The results of research or any part thereof may not be published in book form, except as required for the Ph.D. degree.
(3) Two copies of the dissertation must be forwarded to the National Population Commission.
(4) The data may not be redistributed.
As the archive cannot enforce these conditions, the public archive contains only the data dictionary. To apply for a copy of the data please write:

Public Use Files

Available files include the individual standard recode dictionary, in the original WFS format. In addition, the individual standard recode dictionary dictionary is available in ISSA format. The table below lists the file names and descriptions.

Key References

1. National Population Commission, The Nigerian Fertility Survey 1981-82, Principal Report, Lagos, 1984. Vol.1 & Vol.2

2. Morah, B., Evaluation of the Nigeria Fertility Survey 1981-82, WFS Scientific Reports no 80, 1985.