Analysis of Impact of National Fadama Development Projects on Beneficiaries Income and Wealth in FCT, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of Fadama III project on income and wealth of beneficiary farmers in FCT. Gwagwalada Area Council was selected for the study. The methodology adopted includes descriptive and analytical methods using primary data. Data were obtained from two hundred (200) fadama users and non-fadama users’ farmers respectively. The findings of the study showed that the value of productive assets of fadama beneficiaries increases from N81, 240.97 before fadama III to N84, 9577.5 after Fadama III project. Conversely, there was a decrease in the net farm income of fadama beneficiaries from N198261.5 to N170180.4 during Fadama III project. The reduction in income despite the acquisition of productive assets could be due to limitations encountered by the farmers. Also, some of the beneficiaries are just acquiring the productive assets and the payment of the beneficiary contribution (30%) for pilot asset acquisition could have crowded out investment in short-term activities that could have increase income.  It is expected that the increase in income will come significantly after starting to benefit from their investment in productive assets. The study recommend among others that strategies such as rotating saving and credit associations that can help the poor to access productive assets should be promoted, the low capacity of the poor and the vulnerable in managing productive assets efficiently could be addressed through training and development of complementary services.

Key words: Fadama Project, Beneficiary, Fadama Community Association, Fadama User Group