The Effects of Government Expenditure on Education and Health on Nigeria Economic Growth

This study examined the effects of government recurrent and capital health and education expenditure on the growth process of the Nigerian economy from 1980 to 2022, using the ECM test approach to cointegration. Annual data were sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin and World Bank Indicators (various issues). The Augmented Dickey Fuller test was used to check the level of stationarity while the ECM test to cointegration was adopted to justify the long-run relationship. The existence of a positive relationship was found between government health and education expenditure and RGDP growth of the Nigerian economy. Therefore, an improved health sector due to increased budgetary allocation would trigger a positive growth on the educational sector. The study recommends that for quality human capital development, the government should increased her spending on health and education and ensure that policies are implemented with high level of transparency, honesty and accountabilty, in Nigeria. Furthermore, an increase in government spending on the anti-corruption agencies would encourage the arrest and prosecution of those who divert and embezzle public funds in the country.