ABSTRACT
This study focused on the evaluation of rural women mobilisation for wealth creation with particular reference to Abia State Fadama III Project. The specific objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of the rural women who participated in Fadama III Project, evaluate the effects of Fadama III Project financing on income generation of rural women, ascertain the impacts of Fadama III Project capacity building on the productivity of the rural women in different programmes, and identify the challenges faced by rural women in wealth creation through Fadama III Project in Abia State. The study adopted survey research design and expo-factor research design. Descriptive statistics; gross margin, profit function and net farm income analysis, Ordinary Least Square Regression and Multiple Regression analysis were used to analyse the study objectives and to test the hypotheses posited. The following were the major findings: Education level of the farmer, farmer family size, farmer farm size, farmer farming experience, contact with extension agents, and farmer corporative membership are the socio-economic characteristics that impacts on the productivity of the farmers. An average rural women under Fadama III Project were able to generate ₦828,000, ₦1, 605,000, ₦3, 285,000 and ₦112,500 in crop production, livestock production, fish production and agro forestry respectively as excess proceed accruing from the Fadama III Project initiative. Fadama III Project Financing with the coefficient regression of (21.791) is significant and positively related to the income generation of rural women in Abia State at 1% level (Sig < .01). Fadama III Project capacity building with the coefficient regression of (1926.509) is significant and positively related to the productivity of the rural women in different programmes at 1% level (Sig < .01). Based on these findings, the study concluded that Fadama III Project leads to the mobilisation and wealth creation among rural women in Abia State. Thus, the following recommendations were outlined: World Bank, the Federal Government of Nigeria and Abia State Government should sustain the project to encourage more wealth creation, reduce rural poverty and boost food security in Nigeria and Abia State in particular. However, based on the project evaluation, the project coordinators need to strengthen the project effectiveness by eliminating and reducing the impediments that militated on the project implementation, viability and participants’ effectiveness and efficiency in wealth creation and in boosting food security. The need to ensure that capacity building programmes continues to be an integral part of the project as it increase the proficiency, skills and expertise of the rural farmer in adopting and adapting to innovations and improved farming techniques was emphasized.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Tables x
List of Figures xi
Abstract xii
CHAPTER
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study 1
1.2
Statement of the Problem 3
1.3
Objectives of the Study 5
1.4
Research Questions 5
1.5
Research Hypotheses 6
1.6
Significance of the Study 6
1.7
Scope of the Study 8
1.7.1 Limitations of the study
9
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 10
CHAPTER
2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1
Conceptual Review 13
2.1.1
Concept of women
mobilisation 13
2.1.2
Concept of wealth
creation 14
2.1.3
Concept of FADAMA 16
2.1.4
Background of FADAMA III programme 17
2.1.5
FADAMA III design: the
challenges of replicating a successful formula
nationwide
18
2.1.6
Fadama III implementation:
continued progress despite stretched capacity 21
2.1.7
Linkage between local government councils (LGCs) Farmers and FADAMA III
project 23
2.1.8
Types of wealth 24
2.1.9
Wealth creation and its’ importance in rural economic development 26
2.1.10
Farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics influencing agricultural
productivity 31
2.1.11
Agricultural Productivity and production efficiency 33
2.1.12
Measurement of production efficiency 35
2.1.13
How wealth can be created in rural communities 36
2.1.14
Economic development strategies and rural wealth creation 37
2.1.15 Achievement of
the Fadama project objectives (Efficacy) 43
2.1.16 monitoring and
evaluation design, implementation and utilisation of the
management information
system 53
2.1.17
Problems militating against the effective mobilisation of women for
participation in community
development 55
2.2
Empirical Review 72
2.3
Summary of Literature Review 87
2.4
Gap in Literature Review 90
2.5
Theoretical Framework 91
2.5.1
Resource Mobilisation Theory 91
2.5.1.1
Application of resource
mobilisation theory to the present study 92
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1
Research Design 94
3.2
Population of the Study 94
3.3
Sources of Data Collection 95
3.4
Sample and Sampling
Procedure 95
3.4.1 Sample
Size Determination 96
3.5
Validity of the Instruments 99
3.6
Reliability of the
Instruments 100
3.7
Methods of Data Analysis 101
3.8
Model Specification 101
CHAPTER
4: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1
Data Presentation 108
4.2
Socio-Economic
Characteristics of the Rural Women who Participated in
FADAMA III project in Abia State 109
4.3
Effects of Fadama III Project
Financing on Income Generation of Rural Women
in
Abia State 114
4.4
Impacts of FADAMA III
project
Capacity Building on the Productivity of
the Rural Women in different Programmes in Abia State 117
4.5
Challenges faced by Rural Women in wealth
creation through FADAMA
III
Project in Abia State 129
4.6
Hypotheses Testing 130
4.7
Discussion of Findings 134
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1
Summary of Findings 139
5.2
Conclusion 140
5.3
Recommendations
140
References 143
Appendix
LIST TABLES
3.1,
Showing population and sample size
distribution of respondents. 99
3.2 Showing
coefficient of correlation of the reliability of the research instrument. 100
4.1, Showing
the total number of questionnaires sampled in each local government
area
and the number that were returned. 109
4.2.1
Showing the Socio-economic
Characteristics of the Rural Women Who
Participated in Fadama III Project in Abia State. 110
4.3.1 Showing
the effects of Fadama III project financing on
income generation of
rural
women in different programmes in Abia State 114
4.4.1
Showing the ordinary least square
regression result on the impacts of
Fadama III project capacity building on the productivity of the rural
women in different programmes in Abia State. 118
4.4.2 Determinants of productivity of non-Fadama
III capacity building women
farmers in Abia State 122
4.4.3 Determinants of productivity of both
beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of
Fadama III capacity building
programme 124
4.4.4 Estimated of the impact of Fadama III
capacity building programme on the
productivity of woman farmers in
Abia State 126
4.4.5 Anova result of the determinants of
household productivity for beneficiaries 128
4.5.1
Showing the challenges faced by rural women
in wealth creation through
Fadama III project in Abia
State. 129
4.6.1 Showing
multiple regression analysis result on the impact of
socio-economic characteristics of rural
women on their productivity in
FADAMA III Project in Abia State. 130
4.6.2
Showing ordinary least square
regression result on the effects of
Fadama III project financing on
income generation of rural women in
Abia State 132
LIST FIGURES
Figure
1. Services Enjoyed by Fadama
User Groups Compared to other Economic User Groups
51
Figure
2. Benefits Enjoyed by Fadama
User Groups Compared to Other Economic and Welfare
Related Groups 52
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Renewed and emerging consensus from
global and continental institutions, policy makers and the society at large
showed that rural development, transformation, and rural women mobilisation are
essential to pushing the African continent forward (World Bank, 2012), and agriculture
plays a focal point in this developmental process, because it is a central
source of employment and a catalyst in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with
high propensity in wealth creation and income generation in many African
countries including Nigeria (World Bank, 2012). Thus, in objective measures to alleviate
poverty among rural Nigerians and also to increase the incomes and productivity
of the rural inhabitants as a strategy of meeting up with the millennium
development goals (MDGs) of food sufficiency and poverty eradication, the
Federal Government of Nigeria through the pooled World Bank loan came up with
Fadama projects, to finance the development of Fadama lands by introducing
small-scale irrigation in states with Fadama development potentials. The
project aimed at ensuring that Fadama facilities in Fadama areas are fully
utilised to ensure all year round production of crops and
promotion of simple and low cost improved irrigation under a World Bank
financing. The
success recorded in Fadama I Project led to the establishment of Fadama II and
consequently Fadama III Project. The first Fadama Project (Fadama I) focused
exclusively on irrigation farming, while both Fadama II and Fadama III Projects
are more of agricultural diversification programmes, providing capacity
building and financing for the diverse livelihood activities which the
beneficiaries themselves identify and design, with appropriate facilitating
support. Thus, Fadama III
developmental projects is a follow-up to the successful implementation and
execution of Fadama II Projects, and the development objective is to
sustainably increase the income of Fadama users by about 60 percent.
However, Fadama III Project was
equipped with measures to correct the shortcomings of Fadama II Project. One of
the key features of the project is to mobilise and empower the communities to
collectively decide on how resources are allocated and managed for their
livelihood activities and to participate in the design and execution of their
sub-projects. It employs community demand-driven approach which emphasised and
promotes beneficiaries’ participation and ownership of sub-projects from
initiation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the developmental
projects (Innih and Dimelu, 2013). Therefore, Fadama III Project’s main objective is to sustainably
increase the incomes of Fadama users, by increasing their incomes, the project
would help reduce rural poverty, increase food security and contribute to the
achievement of key millennium development goals. Also, the project aimed at directly
delivering resources to the beneficiary rural communities, efficiently and
effectively, mobilising and empowering them to collectively decide on how
resources are allocated and managed for their livelihood activities. Furthermore,
the project intends to support the growth of non-oil
sectors through the development of productive infrastructure that will enhance
agricultural productivity and the diversification of livelihoods. It involves
building participating communities’ social capital and their capacity to
provide rural services to the poor. The mission proffered a new focus on value
chain production to ensure that farmers get improved agronomic
practices/skills, improved seeds, fertilizers, agro-chemicals with associated
advisory services and irrigation infrastructure among others with adequate
measures to avoid post-harvest loss.
Be
it as it may, Abia State joined the Fadama III Project when the former governor:
Chief T.A. Orji (Ochendu) paid the counterpart contribution, which qualify Abia
State to receive the first tranche of money for the project and certified the state
ready for the full implementation of the National Fadama III Development Project.
The project budgeted to spend $7.8million to enhance the productivity of rural
farmers on a sustainable level, thereby creating wealth and improving standard
of living. Beneficiaries of the Fadama III Project in Abia State, who are
mostly unemployed youths and rural women within 18 years and 35 years of age,
received training in various agriculture production value-chain: piggery,
poultry, crops, low cost processing and storage, advisory extension and
marketing services. Others are fishery, homestead which covers animal
production, plant production and human nutrition. At the end of the training,
no fewer than 200 trainees were empowered with a grant of not less than N700,
000 each as a start-up pack. To that end, rural women in Abia State were
mobilised, empowered and equipped for wealth creation through the Fadama III
Project. To improve performance of the project in Abia State and ensure welfare
delivery, statutory and independent assessments need to be made with evidences gathered from
farmers themselves. Therefore, the study is designed to evaluate the
mobilisation of rural women for wealth creation with particular reference to
Abia State Fadama III project within the periods under review.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Policy
makers and rural development practitioners increasingly recognise that a
short-term focus on creating jobs, wealth or increasing income is insufficient
to generate sustainable rural development or achieve a long-term reduction in
rural poverty especially among women. Thus, rural women
have a predicament that is quite appalling, categorised as a homogenous group
distinguished only by their gender, they constitute the majority of the poor and
illiterate in rural areas of Abia State, Nigeria. However, they are productive, they
participate actively in soil cultivation, agricultural production and
agribusiness value chain activities. The National report for 2004 United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development indicates that at least 40%
of agricultural production activities and 85% of agricultural produce,
processing and marketing are performed by rural women. Therefore, the role of rural
women in agriculture are not questionable, especially when they are empowered
in agrarian environment with Fadama project potentials.
Thus, Fadama III Project in Abia State is
considered to be an instrument for technical transformation of agriculture,
mobilisation and empowerment of rural women for wealth creation. Fadama III Project
through its programmes mobilised, empowered and equipped mostly rural women for
wealth creation in agriculture and agro-related activities. As noted in the
introduction, unemployed youths and women within 18
years and 35 years in Abia State received training in various agricultural
production and value-chain activities, inclusively: piggery, poultry, crops,
low cost processing and storage, advisory extension and marketing services
among others, and many were giving grant of not less than N700, 000 each as a
start-up pack. Accordingly, they were mobilised and equipped for wealth creation,
income generation and improved standard of living. However, with the successful
implementation and completion of Fadama III Project, there is need to weigh the pros and cons of
the project, by determining the impact of the project on the mobilisation, and income
generation of rural women in the state. It is also important to evaluate the
efficacy of the project on income generation and
productivity of rural women against the
project’s developmental objective (PDO) of increasing the income of Fadama users
by about 60 percent,
in order to make useful recommendations for policy decisions on the viability
and sustainability of the project, or otherwise. To that end, the study: Evaluation
of rural women mobilisation for wealth creation, with particular reference to
Fadama III Project in Abia State within the periods under review were
initiated.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is
to evaluate the mobilisation of rural women for wealth
creation with particular reference to Abia State Fadama III Project. The specific
objectives of the study are to:
i.
Describe
the socio-economic characteristics of the rural women who participated in Fadama
III Project in Abia State.
ii.
Evaluate
the effects of Fadama III Project financing (input giving) on income
generation (output received) of rural women in Abia State.
iii.
Ascertain
the impacts of Fadama III Project capacity building (Training in crop production, livestock production,
fish production) on the
productivity of the rural women in their different sub- projects in Abia State.
iv.
Identify the challenges faced by rural women in wealth
creation through Fadama
III Project in Abia State.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The following research questions were answered
by this research:
i.
What
are the socio-economic characteristics of the rural women that participated in
Fadama III Project in Abia State?
ii.
What
are the effects of Fadama III Project financing (input giving) on income
generation (output received) of rural women in Abia State?
iii.
What
are the impacts of Fadama III Project capacity building (training crops production, livestock production, fish
production etcetera) on the
productivity of the rural women in different programmes (crop production, livestock
production, etcetera) in Abia State?
iv.
What are the challenges faced by rural women in
wealth creation through
Fadama III Project in Abia State.?
1.5 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses posited were tested in
null form:
HO1:
The socio-economic characteristics of the
rural women that participated in Fadama III Project in Abia State does not have any significant impact on
their productivity.
HO2: Fadama III Project financing (input
giving) does not have any significant effect on income generation (output
received) of rural women in Abia State.
HO3: Fadama III Project capacity building (training
on crops production, livestock production, fish production etcetera) has no significant impact on the
productivity of rural women in different programmes (crops
production, livestock production, etcetera) in Abia State.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study will be of great
significance to the coordinators of Fadama III Project (World Bank, the Federal
Government of Nigeria and Abia State Government). The study findings will help
them to know the extent the project accomplished its set objective (sustainable increase in the incomes of
Fadama users, reduction in rural poverty, increase in food security, support
the growth of non-oil sectors through the development of productive
infrastructure that will enhance agricultural productivity, and ensuring that
farmers adopt the best agronomic practices/skills, improved seeds, fertilizers,
agro-chemicals with associated advisory services and irrigation infrastructure)
especially in Abia State. The findings of the study will also illuminate on the
challenges that Fadama III Project participants encountered in implementing the
skills learnt and in the pursuance of the project objectives. It will also provide
a clear understanding of the concept of women mobilization, empowerment and
proves useful in providing information that will be helpful in designing
programmes and interventions that are gender responsive, while addressing the
felt needs and aspirations of women in rural areas.
In addition
this study will also be a useful tool to Fadama coordinators and policy makers
on the viability and sustainability of the project. Government and
Non-governmental organisations will also find it useful in designing projects
and programmes that targets to the mobilisation and empowerment of rural women
for wealth creation, poverty eradication and food security. The
study findings will improve the database of Fadama development programmes and
provide the necessary information on rural women beneficiary in the different
programmes of Fadama III Project in Abia State with a view to improving and
modifying the programme design, planning and implementation strategies, thus
accelerating the achievement of the set objectives of the programme. Specifically, the study findings will be of
utmost important to Abia State Ministry of Agriculture on how to revamp the ministry,
sustain agro-food production and wealth creation among rural woman farmers in
particular, and totality of farmers in general.
Furthermore,
the general public will benefit from the study findings, it will acquaint them with
the objectives of Fadama Projects, and its impact in rural poverty reduction, increase in
food security, agro-food production, and ensuring
that farmers adopt the best agronomic practices/skills, improved seeds,
fertilizers, agro-chemicals to facilitate farming and improve food production.
The study findings and recommendations will help to improve the effectiveness
and efficacy of subsequent Fadama Projects and other similar projects design by
government or non-governmental organisations, which will improve the quantity
and quality of available agricultural produce which will increase food security
to the benefit of the general public. More so, the study will add to the available scholarly materials on the subject
matter, which will serve as a relevant tool for students and potential researchers
to further their research interest.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
study evaluated the
mobilisation of rural women for wealth creation with particular reference to
Abia State Fadama III Project within the period of study.
1.7.1
Unit
scope
The
study were conducted in
selected Local Government Areas (Aba South, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South,
Isuikwuato, Obingwa, Ohafia, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Umuahia North, and Umuahia
South Local Government Area) of Abia State, representing the three (3) senatorial
zones (Abia North, Abia South and Abia Central Senatorial Zones) in Abia State.
The selected Local Government Areas are mostly the agrarian areas with Fadama
potential in Abia State and majority of the Fadama Project III participants are
from the selected Local Government Areas. In these selected Local Government
Areas, rural women who participated in the Fadama III Project form the unit
scope of the study.
1.7.2
Content
scope
The study focused its interest to evaluating the mobilisation of rural women
for wealth creation with particular reference to Abia State Fadama III Project.
The study were interested on the
effects of Fadama III Project financing, capacity building on income
generation and productivity of
rural women in Abia State.
1.7.3
Geographical
scope
Geographically, the study will
be conducted in selected Local Government Area of Abia State. Abia State was
carved out of the name Abia is an abbreviation of four of the state’s densely
populated regions Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo. It is one of the
thirty-six (36) states that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Abia
people are of the Igbo ethnic group who predominates much of the south-eastern
part of Nigeria. Their traditional language is Igbo. English is widely spoken
and serves as the official language in governance and business. Abia is 2.4m
people and are mainly Christians. Abia state consists of seventeen (17) Local
Government Areas. They are: Aba north, Aba south, Arochukwu, Bende, Ikwuano,
IsialaNgwa North, IsialaNgwa South, Isuikwuato, Obingwa, Ohafia, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo,
Ukwa-East, Ukwa-West, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Umunneochi.
Abia
State, which occupies about 5,834 square kilometers. The southern part of the
state lies within the riverine part of Nigeria. It is low-lying tropical rain
forest with some oil-palm bush. The southern portion gets heavy rainfall of
about 2,400 millimetres (941n) per year especially intense between the months
of April through October. The rest of the state is moderately high plain and
wooded savannah. Crude oil and gas production is also a prominent activity, as
it contributes to 39% of the GDP. The manufacturing sector only account for 2%
of the GDP. Agriculture, which employs 70% of the second economic sector of
Abia with its adequate seasonal rainfall, Abia has much arable land that
produces yam, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, plantains, okaro and cassava.
1.8
LIMITATIONS
OF THE STUDY
The study limitations are
enormous and can be classified into two folds namely: respondents’ apathy/indifference
and researcher’s difficulties. Majorly, isolating participants of Fadama III
Projects from the ten (10) selected Local Government Areas (Aba South, Isiala
Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Isuikwuato, Obingwa, Ohafia, Osisioma Ngwa,
Ugwunagbo, Umuahia North, and Umuahia South Local Government Area) were very arduous
for the researcher. On the part of the respondents, most of the respondents
were bias, they felt as if they are being subjected to scrutiny, or tax
evaluation in order to half their proceeds. They see the researcher as an agent
of government, despite formal introduction on the purpose of visitation. Many
were very reluctant to participate in the study, and some vocally decline
interest to participate in the study. In many homes the researcher were greeted
with apathy. Furthermore, the stress and risk associated with travelling to
these selected local government areas, identifying the homes of Fadama Project
III participants, sampling and retrieving the questionnaire were overwhelming.
Furthermore, obtaining secondary data from the state Fadama coordinating office
in Umuahia were difficult. However, despite these notable challenges, the
researcher were very resilient, focused and was able to overcome the challenges
in order to successfully complete the study.
1.9
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Operational
The following are the operational definition of
terms as used in the study:
Capacity building: Capacity building is the
process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities,
processes and resources that communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in
the fast-changing world. It is the process by which individuals obtain,
improve, and retain the skills, knowledge, tools, equipment and other resources
needed to do their jobs competently or to a greater capacity. For Fadama III Project,
the capacity building centers on training in various
agricultural production and value-chain activities like: piggery, poultry,
crops, low cost processing and storage, extension, advisory and marketing
services etcetera.
Fadama:
Fadama
is a Housa name for irrigable land, flood plains and low-lying area underlined
by shallow aquifers and found along Nigeria‘s river systems. It also refers to
a seasonally flooded area used for farming during the dry season. It is defined
as alluvial, lowland formed by erosional and depositional actions of the
rivers.
Financing: Financing the act
of providing money for a project, the act of obtaining or furnishing money or
capital towards the achievement of a designed programme. It is also
the process of providing funds for
business activities, making purchases or investing. The Fadama III Project were
financed by World Bank
(IDA Credit), the Federal Government of Nigeria and Abia State Government.
Income generation: Income
generation deals with how to
create (generate) wealth (income) among participating community members. The
process by which individuals or groups in different Fadama III programmes sells
or markets their produce to increase income.
Mobilisation: Mobilisation
is a process of bringing people together to pursue common interests by creating a
sense of unity, ownership and self-control. It is the process of getting people
to overcome their differences, to begin a dialogue on an equal basis to
determine issues that affect them within the community.
Productivity: Productivity
is the effectiveness of productive effort in the
Fadama III Programmes, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of
input. Productivity measure the efficiency of individuals or groups in
different Fadama III programmes to convert inputs into useful outputs. Productivity is computed by
dividing average output per period by the total costs incurred or resources
(capital, energy, material, personnel) consumed in that period. Productivity also connotes
the rate of output per unit of labour, capital or equipment (input).
Rural women: Rural
women are women who live in remote villages, who basically cultivate the land
(Agriculture) as a source of livelihood.
Wealth creation: Wealth
creation is the combination of materials, labour, land and technology in such a
way as to capture profit and not financial wealth. It is also an income
generation activities or more broadly as creation of assets, both in terms of
physical, economical and human capital.
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