Agricultural Development Programme and Rural Poverty in Nigeria: The Bayelsa State Experience

Abstract

The paper set out to examine the problem/impact of Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) on rural poverty and development in Nigeria using Bayelsa State as a example. The study adopted the stratified sampling method and Chi–square statistical technique on a sample of 3000 rural dwellers in Bayelsa State to establish the factors that influences the probability of rural dweller or farmer/fishermen escaping poverty. The result shows that the various components of Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) for farmers and fishermen significantly influenced their income and thus increased their standard of living of rural dwellers.  The findings also reveal that ADP for farmers and fishermen significantly influenced the output agricultural products and their prices, thereby moving rural farmers/fishermen away from the poverty trap. The study also indicates that ADP extension services significantly influence the quality and quantity of basic food crops and hence improves rural poverty of Bayelsan. We therefore recommend that there is need for improve funding of the programme as well as the effective coordination of human and non–human resources for the programme to achieve maximum result.

Keywords: Rural poverty, Farming communities, ADP, Stratified sampling, Bayelsa
State, Nigeria, Chi–square test.