Asian Journal of Advances in Research

In many countries, including Nigeria, the gap between the rich and the poor has continued to widen over the years. It must be stated that this pervasive issue of income inequality (I.I) has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only economic growth but also social cohesion and sustainable development (S.D). This study explored the nexus between I.I in Nigerian families and S.D. The study was guided by two research questions and was anchored on the relative deprivation theory. The survey research design was adopted for the study and its population comprised residents of Asaba Metropolis. A sample of three hundred and eighty-four (384) respondents was drawn through the purposive sampling technique. To collect data for the study, structured questionnaires were administered, filled out, retrieved and analysed using the arithmetic mean and standard deviation. The analysis of data revealed that several factors facilitate I.I in the Nigerian society such as unemployment, corruption and poor governance, among others, and this inhibits economic growth, instigates crime and insecurity, prevents access to quality healthcare and education in society, etc. In line with the findings, it was recommended that the government should provide more job opportunities for the unemployed in the society to increase their living standard and ensure the selection process is devoid of nepotism, and develop efficient policies to address the I.I in the society such as progressive taxation and provision of social welfare programmes, among others.