Effect of Fadama 111 development project on huaman Capacity building in Abia state, Nigeria

Abstract

The study, was conducted to determine the extent the Fadama111 Development  Project  has been able to build human capacity of participants in the various areas of agricultural endeavour offered by the Project. Fadama 111 is the third phase of the Fadama Project in Nigeria, and is essentially an agricultural diversification project. In conducting the study, the multi-stage random sampling technique was used in the selection of the sample. In the first stage, the state was stratified into the  three geo-political zones of the state. In the second stage, 3 local governments were selected from each of the zones, giving a total of 9 local governments out the  17  Local Government Areas of the State. In the third stage, two Fadama Users’ Groups ( FUGs) were selected from each of the 9 local governments, giving a total of 18 FUGs  In the fourth  Stage, 10 participants were  randomly selected from each of the FUGs, giving a sample size of 180 farmers. Data were collected through the use  180 copies of questionnaire/ interview schedule distributed to respondents. The data collected, were analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as frequency distribution, mean, and inferential statistics, such as  Z- test which was used to test for significance of difference between population and sample mean ratings of capacity building activities. The perception of respondents to capacity building activities showed the following had means more than 3.05 on a 5-point rating scale.: gari, poultry meat egg production, yam mini-sett, plantain chips, cassava odorless fufu, smoked fish, goat and sheep production, and pork production, while chin-chin, cassava bread, tom brown, pepper spice, snail production grass cutter production and dry fish had mean scores less than 3.05. The results of hypothesis testing showed  no significant difference between the population and sample means, regarding the benefits derived from the capacity building activities at 5% level. The calculated value of Z-test of 0.0213 was less than the table value of 1.96 at 179 degrees of freedom. The study recommend among others, greater sensitization of rural dwellers on the benefits of the Fadama capacity building activities for greater participation of rural people  to reduce rural poverty.