Enhancing Entrepreneurship Among Farmers Through Fadama 111 Development Project Abia, State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study determined the extent the Fadama111 Development Project has been able to help participating farmers/agro-processors in acquiring entrepreneurial skills needed to successfully run their chosen agribusiness enterprises offered by the Project in Abia State, Nigeria. Fadama 111 is the third phase of the Fadama Project in Nigeria, and is essentially an agricultural diversification project. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in the selection of the sample. In the first stage, the state was stratified into the three geo-political zones of the state. In the second stage, three local governments were selected from each of the zones, giving a total of 9 local governments out the 17 Local Government Areas of the State. In the third stage, two Fadama Users’ Groups ( FUGs) were selected from each of the 9 local governments, giving a total of 18 FUGs. In the fourth stage, 10 participants were randomly selected from each of the FUGs, giving a sample size of 180 farmers. Data were collected through the use 180 copies of questionnaire/ interview schedule distributed to respondents. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as mean, and inferential statistics, such as Z- test. The rating of respondents in this regard showed that the following agribusiness enterprises were highly beneficial to them: cassava production and processing(gari), broiler/egg production, plantain chips, cassava odorless fufu, fish smoking, goat and sheep production, and pork production, while chin-chin, cassava bread, tom-brown, pepper production, snail production, grass cutter production The result of z-test showed no significant difference between the population and sample means at 5% level. The study recommend among others, greater sensitization of rural dwellers on the benefits of the Fadama capacity building activities, to develop entrepreneurial skills as this would encourage greater participation of rural people to see farming as a business instead of a way of life to reduce rural poverty.

Key words: Enhancement, entrepreneurship, farmer, fadama 111, project.