Abstract

The true statistics of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Nigeria is not well known. Therefore, a lack of empirical data on the economic conditions of OVC in Nigeria has hampered the development of effective intervention strategies to mitigate their economic needs. This study assessed the economic activities and capabilities of caregivers in enrolled vulnerable households in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States into a project being undertaken by Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) on OVC. A cross sectional survey was conducted in 8 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States. Information on demographic and socio-economic characteristics of caregivers or heads of the households were collected. Descriptive statistics, T-test and X²- test were used for data analyses. There were 13,631 respondents/caregivers from both Local Government Areas. The commonest economic activity was petty business. The respondents did not have any prior training on other income generating activities. A sizeable proportion of caregivers saw finance as a major constraint to their business climate. The majority of caregivers of OVC in these states did not earn a living wage. Therefore, they will require vocational, business and financial literacy training for effective household economic strengthening program as an intervention strategy of any project.

Key words: Association for reproductive and family health (ARFH), orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), intervention strategy, business and financial literacy training.