Healthcare Utilization Patterns in Nigerian Cities: A Comparative Study Between Wealthy and Poor Neighborhoods

Nigeria has a diverse urban landscape characterized by significant socioeconomic disparities between wealthy neighborhoods and poor areas. A comparative study using stratified random sampling across selected metropolitan areas to gather data through structured interviews and administrative records analysis. The analysis revealed that the proportion of individuals seeking medical care from public hospitals was significantly higher in poorer neighborhoods (65%) compared to wealthy ones (40%), despite a lower availability of healthcare facilities in poor areas. Wealthy neighborhoods tend to rely more on private clinics and doctors' offices, whereas poorer communities prioritise public health services due to affordability constraints. Healthcare policies should focus on expanding access to affordable medical care in underserved urban areas to reduce disparities. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.