Contributions of Small-Scale Community-Owned Infrastructure (SCI) and Asset Acquisitions to the Attainment of Fadama III Project Development Objectives in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to ascertain the contribution of small-scale community- owned infrastructure and asset acquisition to the attainment of Fadama III Project Development Objectives in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study employed the mixed method approach, involving quantitative and qualitative techniques. A total of 300 respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling procedure, complemented with the probability proportional to size technique. Twenty five sessions of focus group discussions were also held with the Fadama Community and Users Associations. Descriptive analysis was employed to explain access to productive rural infrastructures and agricultural product market attributable to the project, describe the nature of the major value additions, and classify equipment acquired by Fadama User Groups and Fadama Community Associations (FCAs), while profitability technique was utilized to ascertain the incomes pre and post value addition. The results showed that access to SCI ranged from 5.9% for newly constructed access roads to 45.9% for rural open market, with an average of 32% of the FCAs having access to at least 1 SCI category compared to 7% under control. Also, 90.8% of the Fadama Community Associations had access to market information compared to 9.2% under the control and the 87.2% obtained at baseline. This was found to be statistically significant at 1% level. Pilot asset acquisition ranged from 2.1% for cold room to 24.3% under Knap sac sprayer. A total of 78.5% of respondents had access to various pilot assets compared to the less than 1% (with the exception of farm tools) recorded for most assets under control. The colossal acquisition of equipment is not unconnected to the Fadama III intervention in the State. The estimated mean enterprise incomes before value addition ranged from N126.10 per hectare for cassava to N225.59 per unit for poultry production, compared to the range of between N82.00 and N170.04 observed for the control. Similarly, the mean enterprise incomes after value addition ranged from N153.8 for garri to N291.30 for paddy rice under the treatment, compared to the range of between N109.0 for cassava flour and N175.0 obtained under control for paddy. These results were significantly different from those of the treatments. Arising from the outcome of the study, it is evident that the implementation of the small scale community owned infrastructures and acquisition of pilot assets had contributed in no small way to the achievement of the Fadama III Project Development Objective in Ogun State. However, concerted efforts needed to be made to: facilitate access of more project beneficiaries’ to infrastructures and pilot assets through enhancement of component envelopes; ensure continuous capacity building; ensure sustainable operation of the Fadama User Equity Fund given the need for asset maintenance and replacement; support targeted value chains given the benefits of income enhancement and obvious subsidy support under Agricultural Transformation Agenda; emphasize farm diversification activities to complement beneficiaries’ incomes; and target younger and vibrant farmers.

Keywords: Fadama III, Small Scale Community Owned Infrastructure, Pilot Asset Acquisition.