Evaluation of Benefits Derived from Village Alive Development Initiative Among Arable Crop Farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

*¹Olagoke O.V., ²Ajala A.O., and ³Oyewale O.O.

¹Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. / Department of Agricultural Development Management (ADEM), Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.

²Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria.

³Department of Rural Development and Gender Issues (RUDEG), Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State.

*Corresponding Author’s Contact Detail: E-mail Address ✉: victorolagoke@yahoo.com

Accepted March 05, 2021

The study evaluates the benefits derived from Village Alive Development Initiative (VADI) among arable crop farmers in Kwara State of Nigeria. This research work was carried out to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the arable crop farmers; determine the benefits derived by the respondents, and to identify the constraints faced by the arable crop farmers in accessing the VADI programme in the study area. The sample size for the study was scientifically calculated and a systematic random sampling method was used to select 120 respondents in the study area. Data was collected using a questionnaire and data analysis was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as mean scores derived from a 5 and a 3 – point Likert scales, tables, percentages, multiple regression and bivariate correlation analyses were used to determine the relationship between socio-economic characteristics of respondents and the benefits derived from VADI programme. Results showed that the age of majority of arable crop farmers fall between 51- 60 years with a mean age of 56 years and most of them were male 86 (71.67%). Findings also show that the mean household size of respondents was 5 persons and the mean of the years of experience in farming was 17. It is also found that a majority (78.63%) of the respondents chose VADI cooperative and others as their source of capital for farming. Furthermore, the result shows the farmers agreed that “access to credit” was the most (MS=1.70) benefits derived from the VADI programme. However, the result revealed that only one (farm size) socio-economic characteristics out of seven (7) were found to have significant effect on the benefits derived from the VADI programme at a significant level of 0.05 and 0.01 farmers’ constructive benefits derived towards VADI programme has led to an optimistic change on farmers’ source of revenue as regard to ease of access, participation and exploitation of VADI scheme. Proactive measures should be employed to the felt needs raised by the respondents and more provisions of VADI benefits for the respondents in the study area to encourage sustainability of the programme.

Key words: Arable crop farmers, VADI, Benefits Derived.

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