GOVERNMENT HEALTH EXPENDITURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ON LONGEVITY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examines the effect of government health expenditure and some environmental variables on longevity in Nigeria. Annual data for a period of 35 years (1981-2015) was anal zed. The time series properties of the data was tested using Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) techniques and the result showed that all the variables are stationary at first differences. We then further tested for the long run relationship the variables using Augmented Engle-Granger Two Step Procedures and the result revealed that there is a long run relationship among the variables. Also, we tested for short run speed of adjustment using Error Correction Model (ECM) and the result revealed that there is short run speed of adjustment among the variables specified that the ordinary least squares (OLS) WAS USED TO TEST that data and the result showed that the government health expenditure has a negative but significant (p. value< 0.05) effect on longevity, while both GDP and urbanization have a positive effect on longevity (p. value< 0.05). CO2 emission, access to clean water and sanitation are not statically significant; hence, their effect on longevity cannot be ascertained. The study concludes that in Nigeria, GDP and urbanization spurs longevity while government expenditure on health retards it.