Construction of a national life table for Nigeria from estimates of under-five mortality

Tubosun A. Olowolafe, University of Ibadan
Joshua O. Akinyemi, University of Ibadan and University of the Witwatersrand

This study adopted the methodology of INDEPTH model life table for construction of life table using estimates of under-five mortality rates to generate national life table for Nigeria. Also, Nigeria life table from INDEPTH was compared to others LT generated using African Standard LT and Coale-Demeny Regional MLT. The under-five mortality rate estimated by Demographic Health Survey 2013 for Nigeria was used. Brass relational logit system was used to derive the level of mortality(a), and the relationship between childhood and adulthood mortality(ß). The study found that Nigeria recorded heavy mortality evidenced by a steep drop in the survival curve in childhood and from ages 50 years onward. However, the INDEPTH MLT depicts lower survival rate than others. The survival rates for the three life tables were close in the childhood years (0-5) after which they begin to be differentiated. The age patterns of mortality for males and females are similar.