REPRODUCTIVE MOTIVATION AND FAMILY-SIZE PREFERENCES AMONG NIGERIAN MEN

Data collected from 3,073 couples in four Nigerian cities and one semi urban settlement were used to examine reproductive decision making and male motivation for large family size. The report concludes that the characteristic male-dominant and patrilineal traditions support large family size and that men's reproductive motivation, to a large extent, affects the reproductive behavior of their wives. Therefore, the fact ors influencing men's reproductive outcomes and intentions are conside red important for fertility transition in Nigeria. Male education, age at marriage, monogamy, interspousal communication, and intention not to rely on children for old-age support are significantly related to s maller actual family size and preferences for smaller families, while being in a male-dominant family setting has a strong relation with lar ge family size and preferences for larger families. The policy implica tion of this study is the need for programs targeted at men and design ed to change their attitudes about population matters and motivate the m, and hence their wives, to produce smaller families.