Gender Contribution of Fulani Rural Dwellers to Household Food Security in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Actualizing food security through adequate food production is not a sole responsibility of men alone as women too play significant if not dominant roles of supplying all ingredients necessary to achieve food security in developing countries. It is against this background that the study on gender contribution of Fulani rural dwellers to household food security in Yewa North Local Government was based. A total of 131 respondents were randomly sampled for the study though 120 questionnaires were analyzed as 11 questionnaires were discarded due to misinformation. Questionnaires were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and chi-square. Majority of the respondents fall within the age brackets of 36 - 45 years of age with a mean of 41 years of age. Majority (63.3%) is in monogamous homes while (36.7%) are in polygamous homes majority have family size 7-9 with a mean of 8 people. Majority of the men occupation was livestock rearing while trading was the main occupation of the female respondents. Majority sell milk products as source of income generating activity. Most men were involved in livestock rearing while majority of the women were involved in crop-farming as a means of livelihood. Majority of the Fulani men and women make sure that food items are available at homes. Both male and female respondents ranked lack of capital as their major constraint to food production. Chi-square analysis revealed that there was significant relationship between age (÷2 value =13.25 p³=0.05) sex (÷ 2 value =20.87 p³0.05), family structure (÷ 2 value=5.01 p³=0.05), educational background (÷ 2 value=10.76 p³ = 0.05), primary occupation (÷ 2 value=94.12 p³=0.05) and their contribution to household food security. T-test showed that there is significant difference (p³ =0.05) in men and women's contribution to house hold food security. However, women have been identified to contribute more to household food security than men even when cultural tradition denies them access to farmland and capital. It is therefore suggested that Fulani women should be encouraged to attend adult literary classes in order to improve their salary level and farm inputs should be given to them at very subsidized rate.