Towards Promoting Rural Infrastructure for Poverty Reduction: Analysis of FADAMA III Small-scale Community-owned Infrastructure in Kaduna and Sokoto States, Nigeria

Sa’Idu Idris,Salisu Ahmed Kabiru

doi:10.32890/jis.15.2019.9263

Abstract

This study is aimed at assessing the impacts of Third National Fadama Development Project (NFDP III) on provision of Small-scale Community-owned Infrastructures (SCIs) for poverty reduction. The sector goal of NFDP III was to reduce poverty by improving the living conditions of the rural poor; contribute to food security and increase access to rural infrastructure. The study made use of questionnaires to generate primary data from 245 respondents whilst Project Implementation Manuals, Appraisal Reports, Baseline and Midline Surveys, etc constituted the secondary data. The study found out that outcomes of NFDP III had profound impacts on the incidence of poverty of the beneficiaries. For example in Kaduna State, incomes of Crop farmers increased by 199% and Livestock owners by 221%. In Sokoto State, the incomes of Crop farmers increased by 225% and Livestock owners by 315%. The food security situation of about 84.4% and 98.3% of the beneficiaries had improved, greatly and the socio-economic conditions of 74.2% and 95.7% of the beneficiaries had been promoted, significantly. The study recommends that to further sustained the impetus created by NFDP III on poverty reduction in Nigeria, the Federal, States and Local Governments should as a matter of concern, extend their commitments beyond those of facilitating the provision of rural infrastructure to those of scaling-up the levels of provision, maintenance and management and poverty reduction should ever remain part of national development goals.

Highlights

In spite of the surfeit of national and international statements, summits, policies and programmes for reducing poverty, the menace of poverty especially in the countryside remains a huge developmental challenge facing the global community
Many factors could have contributed to the incidence of rural poverty, it is glaring to note from the World Bank (2016) report that amongst other factors, insufficient or lack of socio-economic infrastructure that could stimulate and facilitate socio-economic activities in the rural areas were apparently amongst the factors that caused the rural poor to remain trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, for years
This study, attempts to assess the extent to which NFDP III contributed to poverty reduction through the provision of small-scale community-owned infrastructures (SCIs) for the period 2009–2016

Summary

Introduction

In spite of the surfeit of national and international statements, summits, policies and programmes for reducing poverty, the menace of poverty especially in the countryside remains a huge developmental challenge facing the global community. Many factors could have contributed to the incidence of rural poverty, it is glaring to note from the World Bank (2016) report that amongst other factors, insufficient or lack of socio-economic infrastructure that could stimulate and facilitate socio-economic activities in the rural areas were apparently amongst the factors that caused the rural poor to remain trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, for years. In order to promote the livelihood of the rural poor, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and the World Bank designed the National Fadama Development Projects (NFDPs) beginning in the early 1990s. The sector goal of the NFDPs is to reduce poverty by improving the living conditions of the rural poor; contribute to food security and increase access to rural infrastructure (FGN-Project Implementation Manual, 2009). The criteria is based on: (a) a written proposed action plan for both up-stream and down-stream post-harvest activities; (b) a written commitment for regular payment of counterpart funds deducted at the source (at the Ministry of Finance); (c) evidence of viable and active FRUs or other economic groups; (d) evidence of the existence of conflict management committees, and (e) completion of a detailed assessment of existing fadama infrastructures

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