FADAMA III NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN BENUE STATE
Chilebo Francisca Ngowundu; Ohiani Bello & Adadu Yahaya
Department of Potical Sciences
Nasarrawa State University, Keffi Email: chilebofranciscal@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The work examines Fadama III National Development Project and its impact on poverty reduction in Benue State. While the study focuses on the period 2008-2013, when the project was initiated and completed, the impact assessment has been extended to cover post-implementation period in order to ascertain the sustainability and credibility of the project. Using the state centric and good governance approach, the work discovers that FADAMA III which is World Bank project that was implemented in partnership with the Federal, State and Local Governments in Nigeria, recorded some positive achievements in income of farmers, physical infrastructure and productive assets in the participating communities, the impacts of poverty reduction were unsustainable and unimpressive. The income of participants during the implementation period especially during the first year, did not translate to poverty reduction as majority of the people continue to wallow in abject poverty in Benue State. This is attributed to bad government and state’s failure which manifests in sustained corruption and lack of leadership commitment to rural and general welfare of the citizenry. The work therefore, recommends that people should be made the means and ends of any development programme. This calls for a sustainable vision plan, creativity and initiative that can position the people to create wealth, food and jobs while the government provides an enabling environment.
Keyword: Fadama, Poverty Reduction, the State, Good Governance.
