Effect of Fadama III programme on poverty status of rice farming households in Patigi local government area of Kwara state, Nigeria

Abstract

Concern about the menace posed by poverty has led the Nigerian government over the years to devote considerable attentions to alleviating its scourge through various aids and programmes. However, little is known as to the extent to which the objectives of these programmes have been achieved. This study was therefore carried out to examine the micro level effect of the National Fadama III Programme on poverty status of rice farming households in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. A purposive- two stage random sampling technique was used to select 60 beneficiaries and 60 non-beneficiaries of the programme using a well structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Foster Greer Thorbecke model and the Tobit regression model were the major analytical tools employed. The results obtained from the headcount indices showed that, 33% and 60% of the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries respectively are poor. The poverty gap indices were 0.36 and 0.45 for Fadama III and non Fadama III farmers respectively while the squared poverty gap was 0.17 and 0.22 respectively. The result of the Paired t-test showed that the National Fadama III programme impacted positively and significantly on the beneficiaries’ welfare. The Tobit regression analysis revealed, that household size, farm income, educational level of the household head, age and beneficiary status were the major determinants of poverty in the study area. Based on findings of the study, it was recommended that farming households especially women should be given increased access to programmes such as the National fadama III programme to improve their welfare and increase agricultural production in the country.

Keywords: Fadama III; poverty; Tobit; Beneficiaries; Patigi