Fadama III and Rural Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Farming Households in Katsina State

Abstract

The major aim of the Third Fadama Development Project (Fadama III) is to increase the livelihood incomes of its beneficiaries in the rural areas of Nigeria in a sustainable way. This study assessed the sufficiency of the financial supports provided by the Fadama III in its mission to reduce poverty affecting the poor farming populace of Katsina State from 2009 to 2013. Out of 1836 sampling frame, a sample size of 320 respondents was derived through the use of Krejcie and Morgan table for sample size selection. The primary sources of data used were structured questionnaire and interview while the secondary sources were majorly journal articles, workshop and conference papers. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that the common agricultural support provided through Fadama III were work bulls, followed by goats, fishing ponds, threshing machines, grinding machines, sheep, and wheel barrows. These have positive impact on the incomes of the Fadama III beneficiaries. The study established that the support impacted positively on the incomes of beneficiaries. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the Federal Government of Nigeria, World Bank and other funding partners such as states governments, communities and local government should work together to ensure long term impact on income levels of the beneficiaries rather than short term boost.