ABSTRACT

The Fadama project was introduced as a poverty alleviation measure, but the extent to which this goal has been achieved in Abia State is a subject to debate. Hence, the study was embarked upon. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of the participants and non-participants, compare the income of participants and non participants realized from the project activities, and ascertain the perception of the participants on the benefits of the capacity building activities of the project. Primary data were used in the study; two circles from each of the three Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) zones were selected. A total of 180 copies of questionnaire were distributed to respondents for the study. The data collected, were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentage, mean and inferential statistics t-test and z- test which were used to test for significance of difference between the income of participants and non-participants and for significance of difference between population and sample mean ratings of capacity building activities respectively. The study revealed that the participants and non-participants (60% and 67.8%) were males while 40% and 32.2% of participants and non-participants respectively were female, which showed that males dominated in the project and had a mean age of 45 years. Majority of the two groups (88.9% and 85.6%) are married, and almost all the farmers (98.9% and 100%) were educated. The mean annual income of participants and non-participants were 737,784.20, while that of the non -participants was 241,089. This gives a daily average income of N2,021.33 ($10.11) and 147.33 ($0.04) for participants and non-participants respectively. Most of the technologies were perceived as being highly beneficially by the participants with the following means, they include: Garri Cx =4.32), poultry meat (=3.93), egg production ( =3.79), yam miniset ( =3.73), plantain chips ( =3.61), cassava odorless fufu ( =3.35), smoked fish (5 =3.39), goat and sheep (5 =3.35), and pork production Cx =3.11). While chin-chin, cassava bread, torn brown, pepper spice, snail pibduction grass cutter production and dry fish had mean scores less than 3.05, ( 2.64). ( =2.5), (5 =2.21), ( =1.99), (iiE 1.99), ( =1.88) and ( =1.61) respectively. The results of hypotheses testing showed that for hypothesis one, there was a significant difference between the mean incomes of participants and nonparticipants at 5% level. Hence, the null hypothesis which stated that there was no significant difference between the income of participants and non-participants was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted. For hypothesis two, the study found no significant difference between the population and sample mean 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 90 degrees of freedom. This implies that the sample was truly a representation of the population from which it was drawn. The study recommended among others that non-members of Fadama group should be encouraged to become members so as to increase their yield and income level. Women should be encouraged to participate fully so as men dominated more membership of Fadama users.