Determinants and Effect of Livelihood Diversification on Farm Households in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

A fundamental challenge the world faces today is ensuring that millions of households in poverty have access to enough food to maintain a healthy life. Africa, over the years has been looking for ways of solving food problem and this has been a topical issue among African leaders, Scholars and all a sundry. As a contribution to the existing literature, this study seeks to provide an in-depth understanding on the reasons people pursue diversified livelihoods, extent of multiple job holding, factors that drive individuals into multiple-job holding, the different income-generating activities rural households in Ekiti State engage in and their socio-economic characteristics. Primary data were collected from 120 respondents randomly selected from the 16 blocks delineated by the Ekiti State ADP with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Tobit regression  and probit models were used for data analysis. Analysis of the socio-economic characteristics show that the respondents were young vibrant and active in farm work with 84% of them below 50 years. Findings on job diversification show that 11.7%, 40.0% and 38.8% engaged in 3 three jobs, 2 jobs and one job respectively. Increased income and better standard of living were the major reasons for job diversification. Results of tobit regression model showed that level of education and respondent’s income were the significant determinants of job diversification among the respondents. Similarly, the results of probit regression model showed that educational level and family size are the significant determinants of poverty at 1%. The result of the study indicated that Livelihood was generally diversified with majority doing more than two jobs for more income and better standard of living.This offered important insight as to what sorts of intervention might be effective in reducing poverty and vulnerability in rural Ekiti state.

Keywords: Determinant, Livelihood, Diversification, Farm household.