Economic and Demographic Drivers of Non-Marital Childbearing: The Interplay of Age and Income among Women in Mushin, Lagos State

Oluwatosin Dorcas Daniel; Onyedikajah Okereke Daniel; Mobolaji Timothy Olagunju

doi:10.47814/ijssrr.v9i7.3377

Oluwatosin Dorcas Daniel Clinton Health Assess Initiative, Lagos, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5617-5452
Onyedikajah Okereke Daniel Health Systems Consult Limited, Lagos, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2773-8839
Mobolaji Timothy Olagunju, Dr University of Cape Town, South Africa https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5064-9444

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47814/ijssrr.v9i7.3377

Keywords: Non-Marital Childbearing; Age; Income; Demographic Determinants; Mushin; Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The rising prevalence of non-marital childbearing constitutes a significant demographic and socioeconomic challenge across sub-Saharan Africa, yet the phenomenon remains under-examined in the Nigerian context.

Objective: Anchored in Preference Theory which underscores the role of individual lifestyle preferences within socioeconomic contexts in shaping women's reproductive decisions; this study investigates the economic and demographic drivers of non-marital childbearing among women in Mushin Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State, with a specific focus on the interplay between age and income.

Methods: Adopting a qualitative research design, the study employed snowball and purposive sampling techniques to select 40 women currently residing in Mushin who had given birth outside of marriage. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using content analysis.

Results: Advancing age constitutes a primary demographic driver, as women approaching or fearing menopause frequently opted for non-marital childbearing to fulfil biological and social aspirations before their reproductive capacity declined. Income emerged as a pivotal economic determinant, operating through distinct pathways based on socioeconomic status: financially independent women leveraged their resources to pursue medically assisted reproduction (including in vitro fertilisation and surrogacy) outside of marriage, while economically disadvantaged women sometimes sought childbearing relationships with affluent men as a strategy for financial security.

Conclusion: The findings contribute to the growing literature on family formation in sub-Saharan Africa and carry implications for reproductive health policy, social welfare programming, and gender-responsive development planning in Nigeria.

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