ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

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ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study assessed Local Government agricultural activities in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to: identify the types of agricultural activities implemented; ascertain level of local participation in agricultural activities; ascertain perceived benefits of agricultural activities; assess status of agricultural funding for agricultural development; identify areas of linkages between LG and agricultural agencies and ascertain factors inhibiting LG executing agricultural activities. Eighteen communities from nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) were selected by multi-stage sampling technique from the twenty three LGAs in the state. A total of two hundred and seven (207) respondents made up the sample size for the study. Questionnaire and interview schedule were the instrument used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentage, chart, mean statistics and factor analysis. Socio economic attributes (age, sex, educational level, occupation, income, etc) on participation was ascertained using multiple regression.. The hypothesis was tested at 5% level of significance Findings revealed that 37.1% of the LG staff, 30.6% of households’ heads were within the age range of 40-49 years, majority (74.1% and 66.7%) of the LG staff and households heads, respectively were married. All (100%) of the LG staff were educated while 81.4% of the households were educated and the main occupation of LG staff was civil service while half (50.3%) of the households heads depended mainly on farming. Building of market ranked first (1st) as the dominant agricultural activity followed by fisheries sub-sector and establishment of poultry farms that ranked second and third, respectively. Local people participated at the implementation (50.0%) stage of agricultural activities, 10% participated at the planning stage and 3.3% participated at the diagnostic stage. Poverty reduction (M=3.17), reduced rural-urban migration (M= 3.06), increased employment opportunities (M=3.14), provision of raw materials for local industries (M=3.02), increase food supply (M= 3.10) and increased interest in agriculture (M=3.13) were perceived benefits of agricultural activities. Khana was the LGA that spent the highest (6.37%) (N600000) on agriculture from a mean annual allocation of N6.9m. Linkages existed between LG and Agricultural Development Project (ADP) (M=2.62), International Fund for Agricultural Development (M=2.55), and FADAMA III (M=2.62) in the areas of joint use of farmers, joint use of staff and joint funding of project. Corruption (M=2.58), non- continuity of projects (M=2.54), politicizing of selection of participants (M=2.37), poor interest of the community people (M=2.23) and low budgetary allocation (M=2.78) were seen as inhibiting factors to LG administration implementing agricultural activities. There was a significant (p<0.05) influence of socio economic attributes (education, occupation and income) of households on participation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgements iv

Table of contents v

List of tables viii

List of figures ix

Abstract x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background information 1

1.2 State of the problem 5

1.3 Purpose of the study 7

1.4 Hypotheses of the study 7

1.5 Significance of the study 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERARURE REVIEW

2.1 Concept of local government 10

2.2 Agricultural activities in Nigeria 17

2.3 Funding for agricultural activities 27

2.4 Linkages between LGC and other agricultural activities 30

2.5 Determinants of agricultural activities implementation 32

2.6 Benefits of agricultural activities 33

Condition of farmers/rural dwellers 35

2.8 Agricultural production in Nigeria 37

2.9 Problem of oil exploration on agricultural production 39

2.10 Local participation in programme implementation 42

2.11 Challenges of local government agricultural activities 52

2.12 Conceptual framework 54

2.13 Summary of literature 58

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Study area 59

3.2 Population and sampling procedure 62

3.3 Data collection 64

3.4 Validity and Reliability of instrument 65

3.4 Measurement of variables 65

3.5 Data analysis 69

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Respondents’ personal characteristics 70

4.2 Status and Types of local government agricultural activities 80

4.3 Level of local participation in agricultural activities 89

4.4 Perception of benefits of local government agricultural activities 93

4.5 Status of funding of local government agricultural activities 97

4.6 Extent of linkages between local government other agricultural activities 101

4.7 Factors inhibiting local government agricultural activities 106

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary 115

5.2 Conclusion 119

5.3 Recommendations 121

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background information

Local Government (LG) administration brings government closer to the people; it takes governance to the door steps of the people. It is a sub-unit of government controlled by a Local Council which is authorized by the central government to pass ordinances having local application, levy taxes or exact labour within limits specified by the LG edict (Ola, 1984; Ugwu, 2000). According to the 1976 Guidelines, LG is defined as a legally established representative council empowered to initiate and direct the provision -of services and to determine and implement projects so as to compliment the activities of the State and Federal Governments. Adamolekun (1983) reaffirms that LG is a subordinate system of government that has both legal and constitutional power to perform certain legislative, administrative and quasi-judicial functions. It is the smallest unit of governance and the aim is to serve the people in rural areas (Akpan, 1988; Agbakoba & Ogbonna, 2004). Its closeness to the local populace enables it to perform special functions and services, which bother on the interests and aspirations of people in rural areas (Adamolekun, 1979; Olanipekum, 1988).

The history of LG system in Nigeria dates back to the colonial days. The Colonial Administration that was established was based on indirect rule. This requires that the administration should be carried out through traditional rulers and institutions. This led to the establishment of native authorities in their most rudimentary forms from the 1890s to the 1930s (Orewa & Adewumi, 1983). The main function of the native authorities was to maintain law and order. This was easily done in Northern Nigeria but there was a problem in identifying who those authorities were in Southern Nigeria. This necessitated the first reforms in the 1930s and the 1940s culminating in the establishment of Chiefs-In-Council and Chiefs-And-Council in place of sole native authorities (Ola, 1984; Lawal, 2000). In the years 1950-55, the first largely elected local government council based on the British Whitehall model emerged in Lagos and the former Eastern and Western regions. However, in Northern Nigeria, the changes were more gradual (Igbuzor, 2002). . The legal framework for local government at this period was provided by the Eastern region LG ordinance of 1950, the Western region LG law of 1952 and the 1954 Native Authority law in Northern Nigeria. By this time, the Councils were given wider range of functions including primary education, health, police, and judiciary among others. It could be said that the 1950s was the era of pupilage for Councils in modern local government throughout Nigeria (Igbuzor, 2002).

The 1999 Constitution reform provided for a democratically elected local government council in section 7 of the Constitution. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides in Part 11, Section 7(1)-(6) for the establishment of the LG system as the third tier of government in Nigeria. The section goes further to provide for powers, functions, composition and finances of the LG council to be established thereof. . It is meant to undertake functions like the provision, establishment and maintenance of slaughter houses/ slab, markets, gardens, parks as well as participation in the development of agriculture and natural resources as contained in the fourth schedule section 7, of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria. Apparently, the three levels of government exist as partners, working in synergy for accelerated development of the nation. With a predominantly rural population, agriculture apparently should be the major focus of a majority of the LGs.

Agriculture contributes 41.5% to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). It remains significant in the exercise of economic development, providing employment to about 70% of the nation’s labour force and also raw materials for some factories and industries (Ekpo & Olaniyi, 1995; Arowolo, 2008; Ibe, 2011). From 1970 to about 2005, agriculture declined in its importance because of the diversification into oil prospecting. As agriculture was neglected, rural people could not do much to boost production and increase economic earning; hence poverty level increased culminating in lower standard of living. Food importation increased at unprecedented rate (Ibe, 2011). Global economic recession and oil glut of the eighties; fluctuating oil prices which resulted sometime in lower earnings and increased food imports bills with diminished foreign reserve catalyzed government action in rediscovery of the importance of agriculture in national development. These include food security, employment generation, economic empowerment, poverty alleviation and industrialization as well as rural development and national development. However, there are many signs that agriculture is regaining its past glorious importance (Manyong, Ikpi, Olayemi & Yusuf, 2005). The country is now the largest producer of cassava roots and yam tubers and a major producer of livestock and soyabeans products in Africa. The share of agriculture in real GDP has been increasing since 1995 and the annual growth of the sector has surpassed population growth in recent years (Manyong, Ikpi, Olayemi & Yusuf, 2005). More importantly, the agricultural sector is receiving the expected attention from policy makers, which is manifested in several new presidential initiatives, for example in the area of cassava and rice production From that point, government formulated various agricultural policies, created some programmes and institutions to enhance agricultural development and production. A typical example is the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) initiative of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Professor- as Minister of Agriculture. ATA was established to curb unemployment and poverty by harnessing the enormous opportunities and potentials in agriculture to create employment opportunities, increase rural income ensure sustainable economic growth and development and increase foreign reserve for the nation.

The three tiers (Federal, State and LG) of government were expected to drive government policies and programmes in agricultural and rural development. Some of such programmes include; Operation Feed the Nation (OPN), Green Revolution (GR), and Directorate for Food and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI), including the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in which the Federal, State and Local Governments are stakeholders. However, LG were also expected to initiate and develop their models, programmes and activities and execute them in their domain. As would be expected, some LG in Rivers State took up the gauntlet of carrying out various agricultural activities such as agricultural credit scheme, establishment of poultry, fishery and cassava farms and building of markets towards the development of agriculture while others were yet to invest in agricultural development. However the content, quality or scope, as well as the types of agricultural activities carried out would have be determined by age of the LG administration. Some of the agricultural activities initiated by LG administration could have direct bearing on the life of the rural populace to the extent of uplifting their standard of living.

However, there is the need for rural dwellers to participate in agricultural development. Rural dwellers participation in development is the involvement of the broad mass of the population in the choice, execution and evaluation of programmes/ projects designed to bring about a significant upward movement in their levels of living (Lisk, 1985 cited in Nwachukwu, 2008). In the past, and in some obvious cases, development projects have been planned and executed without involving the intended beneficiaries (Gajanajake, 1993; Nwachukwu, 2005). It has been recognized that when the people are involved in identifying their problems, planning for the solution and executing the project, satisfaction is usually achieved and the sustainability of the project is ensured. Nwachukwu (2008) identified seven types of participation namely; passive, self- mobilized, interactive, and consultative. Including material incentive induced, manipulation and functional. Among these, interactive participation allows beneficiaries of project to actively interact with the project providers. There is a joint analysis of the situation which leads to the identification of problem and the action plans to resolve the problem. People are allowed to determine what their problems were, what they want and how the problems will be solved.

1.2 Problem statement

Local government has the highest interaction in governance of local communities and the people. It provides the platform through which the people are represented in government at the State and Federal levels. It is created to meet the peculiar needs of the people at the grassroots. This is very important because every community has its peculiar characteristics, culture, needs and value system that differentiate it from another community. This is true even in Rivers State.

The development of agriculture and natural resources is one of the functions of LG administration. Therefore the development and sustainability of the sector (agriculture), which is the main source of income to the rural people, should be of utmost priority to the LG. Any effort the LGs put in the sector, will not only improve the lives of the people in their domain, but will increase the revenue base of the LG and also ensure food security in Nigeria and Rivers State in particular. Worst still, food production has dwindled as population is increasing, pressure on land is increasing and some farm hands have migrated to the cities for greener pasture which has affected the yield of agriculture and the rural areas (Ibe, 2011).

To this effect, in the annual budgetary proposal in the State, agricultural development usually features prominently. The budget proposal forms the basis for implementation of programmes, projects and activities. Implementation of agricultural development activities is usually tied to the budget and availability of funds from anticipated sources in the budget. It is therefore the amount of money allocated to the agricultural sector that would be spent to carry out agricultural development programmes and activities by the LGCs. For instance, the total budgetary allocation made for agricultural development by the Rivers State Government from 2005 to 2010 was about Eighteen Billion (N18b) Naira only, which was approximated to Two Billion Eight Hundred Million (N2.8b) Naira only each year. In 2005, the State Government allocated N9,250,896,251 for agricultural development which resulted to a plantain output index of 44. In 2010, N2,703,750,000 was allocated and the index of plantain output decreased to 41. There was a deficit of 3 (Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, 2010). This implies that the more funds are allocated to the agricultural sector, the greater the output. The amount allocated was also used to implement various agricultural activities such as building of markets to serve as access route where agricultural produce will be sold and provision of improved planting materials to help farmers increase their yields. Other activities include the training of youths in agriculture, giving of credits to farmers, encouraging cooperatives among farmers, engaging in establishment of poultry, fishery, and cassava farms.

The purpose of Federal, State and LGAs implementing these agricultural activities is to develop the agricultural sector. In order to reduce the cost of food and ensure food security, provide employment for its rural populace especially the teeming youths and to reduce poverty among its rural populace. However, the cost of food is increasing every the day. The State still depends on the eastern and northern part of the country for the supply of major food crops like yam, rice, and even cassava (garri). The unemployment rate in the state is very high (National Directorate of Employment (NDE), 2013), youths have not developed interest in agriculture. They still prefer white color jobs to farming and poverty is prevalent at the rural areas. This has necessitated the need to undertake the study to assess why the expected results from agricultural development have not been achieved in the State.

It is therefore the purpose of the study to assess the impact of the LG agricultural activities on their catchment areas and to establish whether the objectives set out by them in carrying out were achieved. The following questions may therefore be raised. What are the status of agricultural activities executed by LGC, their content and quality? Were the people for whom the agricultural activities intended for part of it, in planning and implementation and at what level? What are the benefits of the agricultural activities on the lives of the local people? Has agricultural development been in the annual budget of the LGAs? If yes, what is the budgetary allocation for the past five years and what percentage? Was the fund allocated fully applied? Are there any linkages with external bodies and in what areas? What are the factors militating against execution and implementation of agricultural activities by LGCs?

Purpose of the study

The general objective of the study was to assess Local Government agricultural activities in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Specifically, the study was designed to:

determine status of agricultural activities implemented by LGAs in the state;

ascertain level of participation of rural households in agricultural activities implemented;

ascertain perceived benefits of agricultural activities on rural dwellers;

assess status of funding (budgetary allocation and actual) for agricultural sector by LGAs from 2005 to 2010;

identify linkages that exist between LGs and the State, international agencies, NGOs and other agricultural agencies; and

ascertain factors inhibiting LG administration in executing agricultural activities in the state.

1.4 Hypotheses of the study

One null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. They include:

Ho1: Households’ participation in agricultural development programmes/projects is not significantly influenced by socioeconomic attributes of farmers (such as income, age, educational attainment, occupation and marital status).

1.5 Significance of the study

Local government is the closest level of government that should bring development to the masses as well as educate, socialize and to carry out some services in health, agricultural development, among others. The assumption that agriculture is an occupation where over 70% of the rural populace is engaged as a source of livelihood should propel the LG administrators to be more involved in its promotion and development.

The result of this study would help researchers, Federal, State governments and all stakeholders to know the level of commitment shown by the LGs in discharging their responsibilities in agricultural development. It would also assist the Local Government to identify weaknesses, problems, loopholes, including evaluation of approaches and types of agricultural activities that should be implemented for maximum output and benefit of the people. The study would enlighten stakeholders on LG effort towards agricultural development and would present a raw score card for assessment of local government effort in agricultural development. The importance of local people participation and benefits from agricultural activities should be foremost consideration of any government agency or NGOs before initiating, planning and implementation of their activities.

Result of the study will assist the government and other stakeholders in formulating policies that will bring about sustainable development of agriculture. Also, all stakeholders shall be able to evaluate the success of and achievement of the agricultural activities vis-a- vis participation or mass mobilization and benefits to the people. Finally, it will help LGs keep abreast of challenges in the development of the agricultural sector and how to surmount them.

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