THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN AGATU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE

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THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN AGATU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background of theStudy

Women play important roles in agriculture, undertaking a wide range of activities relating to food production, processing and marketing; and beyond farming, they are involved in land and water management: most often they are collectors of water, firewood and fodder. They have access to a store of local knowledge on the medicinal use of plants; they have been in the forefront of soil conservation programmes; and it is women who perform most of the household labour devoted to animals (Commonwealth,2005).

Women participation in agricultural production therefore cut across various subsectors: planting, weeding, harvesting, processing, and marketing as well as tending livestock (Soubh, 2006). This necessitates their integration into planning, policies, and programmes for effective and sustainable development of a nation (FAO, 2003). Hence, the role of women in agricultural production in the developing nations, including Nigeria, can never be overemphasized (Damisa and Yohanna, 2007; and Kishor, Gupta, Yadav, and Singh, 1999).

Although, rural out-migration has constituted one of the greatest challenges hindering agricultural development in developing countries, surveys showed that, in general, women in Africa have a strong desire to participate in their community affairs and contribute to its development (African Development Fund – ADF, 2003) provided that: there is government effective and timely support/subsidization to agricultural sector; employment opportunities in the local area, including part-time jobs; the possibility of gaining work experience and vocational qualifications; local facilities for education and training; business services supportive to women’s projects and enterprises; public transport services compatible with working hours; local childcare facilities and socialservices for the elderly and the sick; and supportive public and professional organizations.

One of the rationales for improving women participation in agriculture is that when a woman is educated, her children tend to be better fed and healthier. As a woman earns income, she is more likely than the man to spend it on improving the well-being of the family. This scenario can build women self-esteem and lead to a more participatory role in both public and family decision making (FAO, 2011).

The full use of productive potential of human resources (male and female) cannot be realized in developing nations if women do not have access to adequate resources, productivity enhancing inputs and services; and policies such as price incentives cannot be fully successful in stimulating agricultural production if the institutional arrangements prevent women producers from getting the benefits.

As such, the role of agriculture has been re-appraised and re-valued on its contribution to industrialization and its importance for harmonious development, political, and economic stability with emphasis on women participation in agricultural activities. As agricultural resources have become increasingly responsive to market forces and increasingly integrated in the network of industrial interdependencies mainly shaped by technological advancement, vertical integration, marketing and consumer preferences (FAO, 2003b). The International Development Community (IDC) has thus recognized agriculture as engine of growth and poverty reduction in countries where it is the main occupation of the larger proportion of the people. And as agriculture sector is becoming more technologically sophisticated, commercially oriented and globally integrated; the developing countries have to fully utilize their human resources in order to take advantage of the global opportunities for all agricultural producers, including improving women participation in agriculture (FAO,2011).

Overseas Development Institute – ODI (2002) identified some reasons for believing that agriculture is the engine of poverty reduction: when agriculture prospers, farmers and farm labourers benefit, and so do those with jobs upstream and downstream from farming; the wider economy also benefits, from increased spending, likelihood of greater tax revenue, more investment in infrastructure, and a stronger foreign exchange position. It was also found that the impact of agricultural growth on poverty reduction is one and half times the impact of growth in other sectors (ODI,2002).

The historical evidences prove that agricultural sector has the potentials to be the industrial and economic springboard from which a country’s development can take off as its activities are usually concentrated in the less-developed rural areas where women represent the highest vulnerable groups with a critical need for (rural) transformation, redistribution, poverty alleviation and socio-economic development (Stewart, 2000; Eicher and Witt, 1964; Oluwasanmi, 1966; and Jones and Woolf,1969).

The Nigerian experience during the first decade of independence could reasonably be described as an agricultural economy because agriculture served as the engine of growth of the overall economy (Ogen, 2003). From the standpoint of occupational distribution and contribution to the GDP, agriculture was the leading sector. During this period Nigeria was the world’s second largest producer of cocoa, largest exporter of palm kernel and largest producer and exporter of palm oil. Nigeria was also a leading exporter of other major commodities such as cotton, groundnut, rubber and hides and skins (Alkali, 1997). The agricultural sector contributed over 60% of the GDP in the 1960s and despite the reliance of Nigerian peasant farmers on traditional tools and indigenous farming methods, these farmers produced 70% of Nigeria’s exports and 95% of its food needs (Lawal,1997).

However, ever since the oil boom of 1970s resulting in the neglect of the agriculture sector, Nigeria has been witnessing extreme poverty and the insufficiency of basic food items as the sector now accounts for less than 30% of Nigeria’s GDP (Olagbaju and Falola, 1996).

This scenario of agriculture losing its position in the economy led to the introduction of Agricultural development Projects (ADPs) in the late 1970s by the Nigerian government. The ADPs were designed in response to a fall in agricultural productivity, and hence a concern to sustain domestic food supplies, as labour had moved out of agriculture into more remunerative activities. The ADPs are to provide agricultural investment and services, rural roads, village water supplies, and mainstreaming of women into agricultural activities. The government’s adoption of the ADP concept put the smallholder farm participation at the centre of the agricultural development strategy (Independent Evaluation Group – IEG,2009).

As a result of this initiation by the Federal Government of Nigeria, various states constituted their State Agricultural Development Projects (SADPs) and International fund for agricultural development (IFAD) came into being by the Edict No. 12 of Benue State Government on December 19, 1991 and took off with personnel and assets it inherited from Kwara State and Benue State, the two States from which it was created in August 27, 1991 in order to harness the agricultural potentials of Benue State and to facilitate rapid rural development, (IFAD,1995).

It is on this background that this thesis is set to evaluate women participation in Agriculture: the role and impact of Benue State Agricultural Development Project (IFAD).

Statement of theProblem

Women as farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs face more constraints than men in accessing productive resources, markets and services – a “gender gap” – which hinder their effective participation in socio – economic (including agriculture) and political activities thereby reducing their contributions to the attainment of broader societal goals (FAO, 2011).

There are empirical evidences – that increased equality in access to economic assets – has shown a significant raise in the productivity of female producers. This in turn helps improve household welfare through better bargaining power. These evidences concluded that increasing women’s control over economic assets have strong and immediate effects on the welfare of the next generation and on the level and pace at which physical and human capital are accumulated. The evidences also demonstrated that although there are forms of structural discrimination against women in relation to access to credit networks; women borrowers have lower risk of default as a result of lower prevalence of corruption and bribes among women groups leading to higher repayment rates (World Bank 2004; Whitehead, 2003; Blackden and Bhanu, 1999; World Bank 2002e, 2001a; Bamberger, et al.2002).

In order to transform agriculture sector, the Nigerian government undertook a study in the year 2000 on the “Nigeria Rural Agricultural Sector Strategy”, which resulted in 2001 into a new Rural Development Strategy as a means of effectively operationalizing the agricultural policy with the main principles of policy intervention; policy consistency; improved participation through programmes and supports; intervention sustainability; and enhancing greater equity among all participants so as to reduce poverty; improve food security; and increase provision of rural infrastructural facilities (African Development Fund,2003).

As a result of this study, a new Agricultural Policy was adopted by the government of Nigeria in October 2001 replacing the one enacted in 1989 aimed at: re- organizing the institutional framework for government intervention in the sector through its organizations (ADPs); creating a conducive macro-economic environment to stimulate greater private sector investment in agriculture; rationalizing the roles of different tiers of government; actualizing and implementing integrated rural development through mainstreaming women in development; increased budgetary allocation to enhance production and productivity; increased fiscal incentives to agriculture and reviewingtraderelations; and promoting increased use of machinery and inputs through favourable tariff policy (African Development Fund, 2003).

Agricultural Projects and agricultural new policies were added to “the Community Based Agriculture and Rural Development Support” in collaboration with international donors such as the World Bank, United Nations, UNDP, IMF, e.t.c so as to effectively and efficiently put rural development on the sustainable course.

IFAD was established to actualize national policy objectives as well as to make Benue State “food sustenance” and raise living standard of the rural populace through increased income from higher agricultural productivity; to ensure sustainable rural development with special reference to women.

Despite the activities of IFAD, women farmers in the state still face some challenges such as lack of land, financial assistance inconsistence markets for their produce, bad road network for easy transportation of farm produce, lack of fertilizer and chemicals for their crops. Therefore, there is need to evaluate the role and impact of IFAD in promoting women participation in agriculture in the State since its inception; and it is this that induce the write up of this thesis.

1.3 RESEARCHQUESTIONS

From the above statement of the problem, the following questions are imperative:

What is the extent of women participation in agricultural production in Benue State?

What are the constraints being faced by Women in their participation in agriculture in Benue State?

To what extent has International fund for agricultural development impacted on women participation in agriculture since inception?

What other policy options can enhance International fund for agricultural development to perform its role in mainstreaming women participation in agriculture in Benue State?

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to analyze women participation in agriculture: the role and impact of International fund for agricultural development (IFAD); while specific objectives include:

To examine socio-demographic characteristics of women farmers in Benue State

To evaluate the extent of Women participation in agricultural production in Benue State

To identify constraints that women face in their participation in agriculture in Benue State

To investigate the impact of IFAD on women participation in agriculture since its inception

To proffer other policy options that can enhance the role of IFAD in mainstreaming Women participation in agriculture in Benue State

1.5 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

One of the justifications of this study is that it will provide evidence that women play an important role through their participation in agriculture in various countries and if similar policy intervention is pursued by the Nigerian government and the government of Benue State in particular, agriculture sector could be revived with little efforts as compared to previous ones by providing the need for considering women in State’s developmental policies for meaningful sustainable progress to be achieved in socio – economic and political sectors of Benue State.

The study will also prove that one of the reasons responsible for the under performance of agricultural sector in many developing countries including Nigeria is due to women (given their roles as farmers, labourers, and entrepreneurs) exclusion from participating in agriculture through policy interventions with focus that the benefit received by the head of the family (man) will as well spread to female members of the family.

The study will enable women to understand their role in fostering agricultural development through their effective participation, particularly in Benue State and evaluates structural constraints that may hinder their participation in agriculture sector as well as present clear picture on the role and impact of IFAD on gender issues in the State.

In addition, it will contribute to the existing literature on the role of women participation in agriculture and the impact the ADPs played on fostering integrated rural development in Nigeria.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The activities of the women farmers in Benue State were evaluated with respect to the impact of IFAD on their role in rural development of the State. Given the objectives of

this research study, three local government areas (LGAs): Makurdi, Okene, and Ankpa LGAs; each from one senatorial zone, were selected for the analysis of the study. Samples were drawn from these LGAs based on the senatorial division of the State: Benue East, Benue Central, and Benue North and from each senatorial zone; one LGA was purposivelyselected.

Benue State lies in the north central geo-political zone, located between longitudes 5 18 E to 7 45 E and latitudes 6 30N to 80 42 N. Benue state is characterized by low and high lands. In low land areas are extensive plains, alluvial and swampy features and these occur along the Niger and Benue valleys. Areas of high elevation are found in most parts of the state. The scope of the thesis covered between 1993 to2010

One of the limitations of the study is financing which limit the scope into three selected LGAs. Time frame within which the study is to be completed is another limitation of the study.

However, data collected from the field with the instrument is effectively analyzed through descriptive method from which conclusion and recommendations are drawn.

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