Socio-economic Impact of Rural Road Infrastructure by African Development Bank Community Based Agriculture and Rural Development Project in Selected States of Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to assess the socio-economic impact of rural road infrastructure provided by the African Development Bank Community Based Agriculture and Rural Development Project (AfDB-CBARDP) in the States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select samples for the study. A sample of 80 respondents were used for the study. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results revealed that the project had achieved 100% set target on the provision of road construction in each of the participating States. Also, 83.0%, 76.0%, 69.0%, 79.0% and 72.0% of beneficiaries’ communities in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara States rated the roads quality as very good. The result has shown that in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara States, there was reduction in time of waiting for motor vehicle by 160, 15, 50, 40 and 10 minutes. There was also a concurrent reduction in the transportation fare (Naira/passenger) to the nearby town by ₦50, ₦200, ₦100, ₦150 and ₦50, respectively. The study equally revealed that average yield per hectare of maize has increased from 1500 kg to 2500 kg before and after the project in Adamawa State. In the same vein, average yield in Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara States before the project were 1100 kg, 1200 kg, 1745.6 kg and 1223 kg, while after the project intervention the maize yields more than double to 2500 kg, 2800 kg, 2309 kg and 2309 kg, respectively. Likewise, average yield of cowpea per hectare has increased considerably across the five States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara by 69.8%, 65.9%, 51.6%, 73.8% and 46.5%, respectively. Percentage change in income of the sampled respondents indicates an average increase of 67.6% across the beneficiary States. The study concluded a strong positive NPVs and BCRs greater than 1 in all the States. The BCR in all cases indicates that the road projects were worth investing. The study recommended that a willingness to pay analysis to be undertaken as a way of gauging future tariff plan for the use of the road infrastructure to justify and attract private investment.