ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (ADP) IN POVERTY ALLEVIATION AMONG YOUTH FARMERS

(A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA)

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Education

ABSTRACT
This research was carried out to determine the role of Agricultural Development Projects (ADP) on poverty alleviation among youth farmers, in Kaduna State. The study had five specific objectives which aimed at determining the extent of youth farmers’ awareness of (KADP) Programme role toward poverty alleviation among youth farmers, the constraints of ADP programmes on poverty alleviation. It aimed at identifying appropriate measures implored and the effective strategies to improve accessibility of the programme to Youth to achieve poverty alleviation. Five research questions were answered and five null hypotheses were also tested. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and a self-designed four-point rating scale questionnaire was used to collect data. The population of the study was 1,811,612 consisting of both male and female youth farmers in Kaduna state. A sample of six hundred (600) respondents was randomly selected for the study. Six hundred copies of questionnaire were distributed but 550 were retrieved. Data collected were analyzed using statistical tools. Percentage scores were used to analyze the demographic variables of the respondents, while research questions were answered using mean scores. Any item with mean score of 2.50 or above was accepted, otherwise rejected. Also the five null hypotheses were tested using t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) at alpha, 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that all the five null hypotheses were rejected .The finding of the study revealed that, Agricultural Development Project had not played any significant role in poverty alleviation among youth farmers in Kaduna State. It was concluded that most of the youth farmers were not aware of the existence of the Kaduna State Agricultural Development programme. There were a number of constraints preventing youth farmers’ access to KSADP Programme lack of education among majority of the youth farmers had a negative effect on the awareness of the KSADP Programmes. In order to ensure effective role of KSADP in poverty alleviation among youth farmers in Kaduna State it was recommended that; government should provide adequate funding for the KSADP programme. Extension agents should be employed and deployed to all parts of the state to create awareness.