Entrepreneurship Development as a Strategy for Poverty Alleviation among Farming Households in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

The emergence of the free market economies globally, has resulted in the development of a new spirit of enterprise and the increased farmer's need for more responsibility in running their farm business. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select a total of 120 respondents used for the study. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was used to achieve the objectives of the study. Results showed that the farmers are within the average productive age of 44 years and an average household size of 6 persons. Meanwhile, despite the participation of the farming households in entrepreneurial activities, its development has not been fully embraced. Hence, at 0.05 (P=0.05) level of significance of entrepreneurial development has not contributed much in reducing poverty among the farming household in the area. The development and acquisition of entrepreneurship skills among the farmers were constrained by inadequate market opportunities, poor access to credit facility, inadequate market information, poor managerial skills, inadequate power supply, high taxation, and poor government policies on entrepreneurial development. Despite the problems confronting the development of entrepreneurship among the farming households, the study concluded that entrepreneurial development has contributed in poverty reduction in the area. The study however, recommended adequate entrepreneurship development programmes for farmers while addressing factors that hinder its growth and development as a way of actualising the current transformation agenda of the present federal government of Nigeria on poverty eradication through farming activities.

Farm waste utilization among farmers in Irepodun local government area, Kwara state, Nigeria: implication for extension education service delivery

“…Findings also revealed that a little above average (51.7%) of the farmers engaged in trading as a form of secondary occupation while only a handful (11.7%) of them were not involved in any secondary occupation but solely depend on farming. The finding is in agreement with Mbam and Nwibo (2013) who reported that farmers engaged in various farm and non-farm activities as a way of income diversification which helps in reducing poverty among the farming household. Table 1 further showed that more than half (58.4%) of the farmers in the area are crop farmers implying that majority of the waste generated in the study area will be crop related as only few (35.8%) of the farmers are into livestock farming.…”

“…Also, livestock generate large amounts of wastes. Manure production can amount up to 5.27 kg/day/1000 kg live weight, on a wet weight basis (Mbam and Nwibo 2013).…”

Socio-economic determinants of agripreneurship choice among youths in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

“…The marketing component of agripreneurship activities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria reveals that youths are mainly in marketing and distribution of cereals, legumes and nuts, livestock feed, palm products, cassava products and flour respectively. This justified the report of Mbam and Nwibo (2013) that the principal agricultural products marketed and distributed are cassava products, flour, confectionaries, palm products, rice, and yam. Meanwhile, they also involved in non-farm activities such as artisans, trading and agro-tourism.…”

Utilisation of cassava waste among processors in Akoko Southwest, Ondo State, Nigeria

“…A share of their current incomes could be channeled as capital investments into waste utilisation technology to enhance aggregate incomes and improve livelihoods. Mbam and Nwibo (2013) surmised that a combination of farm and nonfarm activities constitute sources of income for farmers which helps to lessen poverty among farm households.…”