IMPACT OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDG) ON POVERTY: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED CROP FARMERS IN LAFIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA
IMPACT OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDG) ON POVERTY: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED CROP FARMERS IN LAFIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2017-11
Authors
MAMMAN, Tijjani
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
One of the primary objectives of government intervention policies of every nation is to develop a
mechanism which aims at improving the wellbeing of its citizenry, especially the poor. However, with all
these mechanisms put in place, poverty remains a global challenge, which prompted the attention of the
global community under the umbrella of the United Nations General Assembly, to develop a time – bound
framework that stimulates the need to tackling the problem of poverty among other things, which led to
establishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Based on the above scenario, this study
assessed the Impact of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Poverty: case Study of Selected
crop farmers in Lafia Local Government, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Data were obtained from 346
respondents which include 227 and 119 MDGs Projects beneficiary and non – beneficiary farmers
respectively. The data were collected based on a subsample of respondents among the Rice farmers,
Maize farmers and Yam farmers’ beneficiaries and non beneficiaries respectively. Descriptive statistical
tools were used to determine the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers, net farm income difference
and double difference estimator were employed to find out the level of profitability of the beneficiaries. In
addition, Foster Greer Thorbecke (FGT) poverty indices were also used to assess the poverty status of the
respondents while logit regression was employed to measure the determinants of poverty among the
beneficiaries. Findings of the study show that 56.1% of the beneficiaries were males, 73.0% were youth,
51.1% were married and 97.5% have attended formal education at various levels. The MDGs introduced
different innovations to improve on the various crop productions like land acquisition, access to improve
variety, drought resistant specie etc. The result also revealed higher rate of profitability among the
MDGs beneficiaries than non beneficiaries after the MDGs intervention where the rate of profit obtained
by the beneficiaries increased by 129.3% for the rice farmers as against the 69.0% obtained by the non
beneficiaries, 182.6% for the maize farmers as against the 63.4% obtained by the non beneficiaries as
well as 180.4% for the yam farmers as against the 68.1% obtained by the non beneficiaries. The result
also indicated a positive mean double profit difference of about N 96,266.6 for the rice farmers, N121,
367.3 for the maize farmers and N 152,051.4 for the yam farmers. Results from the FGT indices indicated
higher poverty incidence before the MDGs intervention than during the intervention and also higher
incidences among the control group than the experimental group after the intervention. Poverty incidence
for the core poor and moderate poor among the beneficiaries was 40.5% and 35.2% before the
intervention, 33.0% and 23.8% after the intervention respectively while the incidence among the non
beneficiaries was 48.7% and 34.4% before the intervention, 44.5% and 31.1% after the intervention
respectively. Poverty gap of the core poor and moderate poor among the beneficiaries was 0.33 and 0.20
before the intervention, 0.11 and 0.04 after the intervention respectively while the gap among the non
beneficiaries was 0.38 and 0.15 before the intervention, 0.23 and 0.05 after the intervention respectively.
Poverty severity of the core poor and moderate poor among the beneficiaries was 0.40 and 0.26 before
the intervention, 0.18 and 0.10 after the intervention respectively while the severity among the non
beneficiaries was 0.42 and 0.22 before the intervention, 0.32 and 0.12 after the intervention respectively.
This situation implied that MDGs intervention projects have improved poverty status of the beneficiaries.
Findings from the logit regression revealed larger family size and higher number of dependents in school
increased the likelihood of a beneficiary being poor while access to formal education, affordability of at
least three square meals a day, access to improved healthcare facilities, farming as major occupation and
good dwelling reduced the likelihood of a beneficiary being poor. Therefore, the study concludes that
MDGs intervention had impacted positively on poverty status of the beneficiaries. The study recommends
that the project innovations should be replicated in more communities across the state. There is need to
intensify public enlightenment in order to persuade the farmers to comply with some of the MDGs
production innovations. Farmers should be encouraged to establish engage in agriculture related
processing industries in their areas such as Rice Mills, Maize processing Factories.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER DEGREE IN ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
IMPACT,, MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS,, POVERTY,, CROP FARMERS,, LAFIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT,, NASARAWA STATE,, NIGERIA