Gender Analysis of Labor Contribution Among Maize Farming Household in Agricultural Zone C of Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analysed the gender labour contribution among maize farming households in Agricultural Zone C of Kogi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 160 households from which the males and females were interviewed. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. The mean age of male respondents was 40 years while that of female respondents was 33 years. Average income of male farmers was ₦147,321.9 while that of female farmers was ₦143,475.0. The average household size of the respondents was 8 persons. Male respondents were more dominant in tertiary education than female respondents. The result on labour contributions reveals Men dominated in all the maize production activities except planting/sowing where women provided 72.1% of the labour. In extreme instances such as harvesting men provided 100% of the labour needed. Land preparation had 66.5% contribution from the male respondents while the females offered only 33.5%. Male contribution in tilling was 78.8% to the female 21.2%. In making ridges men provided 71.3% against the female 28.7%. In planting/sowing, the only activity women had dominance in, women were seen to have provided 72.1% of the labour contribution against 27.9% of the labour male respondents provided. Furthermore, 70.7% of the labour provided for weeding came from the male folks while the females provided 29.3% of the labour. Male respondents provided 89.9% of the labour for fertilizer application as against the 10.1% provided by the female respondents. Pesticide application was 73.8% of the male against 26.2% of labour contribution. Transportation saw men provide 98.5% of the labour against the 1.5% provided by the female. The results on constraints revealed that poor access to farm inputs was 91.3% for male, while that of female was 96.3, poor transport systems were 88.1% for both male and female, lack of storage/processing facilities was 86.3% for both male and female and poor access to credit was 95.0% while the female was 97.5%. It can be concluded that male gender in the household dominated the female gender in terms of labour contribution in the study area. Most constraints identified bother around institutional and infrastructural inadequacies in Nigeria’s rurality therefore there should be provision of better extension service, access to credit facilities and motorable roads in rural areas in study area.