Micro View Perspectives of Labour Productivity in Ado-Ekiti Community: Implications for Childhood Malnutrition
Recent studies affirmed that the inability of children in low-and-middle-income countries (rural areas mostly concerned) to develop to their full cognitive potential is having adverse effects on their physical and mental development, thereby leading to poor labour productivity in rural communities as a result of malnourished syndrome. This paper investigates the effect of childhood malnutrition on labour productivity as evidenced in Ado-Ekiti community, Ekiti State, Nigeria using microdata analysis. The data was sourced from respondents across Ado Ekiti, from Ekiti Central Senatorial District which also doubled as the State Capital of Ekiti State. The study was descriptive. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques are used to select fifty (50) respondents out of 152 selected samples. The research instrument adopted a well-structured questionnaire for the study. The data gathered was analyzed using of simple percentage. Results from the study showed that undernutrition (wasting, stunting, and underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight, obesity, and mental health conditions are the prevalence of childhood malnutrition affecting the labour productivity output of rural areas in Ado Ekiti. Findings from the study indicate that under-nutrition in early childhood makes an individual more prone to non-communicable diseases later in life, including but not limited to diabetes and heart diseases that exhibit a negative influence on labour productivity output in the community-Ado Ekiti; education gap and consequent lower skill-level of workforce substantially derail the development of countries affected by malnutrition; mortality and morbidity rates associated with malnutrition represented a direct loss in human capital and productivity of the economy as well as poor cognitive function and reduced school attainment that originate in early childhood under-nutrition. Based on the findings of the study, it is therefore recommended that breastfeeding mothers should be well educated on the significance of proper child breastfeeding. This will go a long way to boost the immune system of the children and reduce illness, thus leading to labour productivity improvement of Ado Ekiti community’s growth and development and by extension to the country’s economy
