ISSN 2348-3156 (Print) International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 4, Issue 3, pp: (4-8), Month: July - September 2016, Available at: www.researchpublish.com Page | 4 Research Publish Journals A Correlation Analysis of Fertility Rates In Southern and North-Eastern-Region of Nigeria Gwanshak Joshua Yohanna Department of Geography Faculty of Environmental Science, Plateau State University, Bokkos, Plateau State -Nigeria Abstract: Fertility in human population is one of the principal components of population dynamics in any country’s population. To have a proper understanding of total fertility rate in Nigeria, as it varies from region to region, a study must be carried out to know those variations. This article is one of those research works that was done to correlate the fertility rate of the North-east and South-west of the country. These were achieved by retrieved data from Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2013 information on the characteristics of respondents which include: age, sex, marital status and education, other data was on fertility rate. The findings revealed that rural areas have high fertility rate than urban areas and posit to have an adolescent high rate of fertility. A significant different were achieved at 95% degree of freedom in its comparism of the two region. Thereby, suggesting positive ways to bring a general decline to fertility growth to the country. Keywords: Fertility, Total Fertility Rate (TFR). 1. INTRODUCTION Fertility is the most important component of population dynamics and plays a major role in changing the size and structure of the population of a given area over time (Dube, 2013 citing Yohannes et al, 2004). The increase in the rate of fertility in less developed countries as found in the sub Sahara, is worrisome that all measures including, modern contraceptive devices suggested or put in place at national, community and household levels seem not to have had much impact (Nonye. A and David O, 2013). Nevertheless, according to the 2011 estimates by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Nigeria was 4.73- rated 27th in the world and 25th in Africa immediately after Sudan and Senegal but ahead of Togo, Central Africa Republic and Gabon (in that order). In addition, according to the results of the 2008 census, Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world with a total population of over 140million people and an annual population growth rate of 3.2%2-4. These statistics are obviously indicator of impending population explosions if measures for checks are not considered. (Onoja. M and Osayomore.I, 2012) The total fertility rate is the average number of children that would be born to a woman during her lifetime, during her biotic potential years estimated at 16-44+ (Loremate, 2004). Estimates of TFR for the years 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 are 6.354, 6.335, 6.471, 6.706, 6.787 respectively. These figures imply an increase between 1965 and 1980 or, at best, a stability of fertility at high levels. The rise in fertility in early to mid-1970s may be explained partly by the dramatic rise in revenue from oil export which leads to a sharp increase in food import as well a s workers’ salaries (Bankole and Bamisaye, 1985). From 1981 up till 1997 TFR rose to 6.006 per female. Further decline in TFR was indicated from 1998 when fertility rate dropped by one percentage point to 5.963 to 2011 closing the period at 5.489. It can be argued that an onset of a sustained fertility decline appeared to have begun after the mid-eighties when policy makers started to give population control issues some serious considerations which culminated in the formulation of a national population policy in 1988 (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1988). That fertility declined among all age groups reinforces the assertion by Caldwell et. al. (1992), that because young adult attempts to avoid pregnancy and marriage, efforts at birth spacing by older women will continue to be important driving force in the transition (Nonye. A and David .O, 2013)