Socio-Economic Effects of Livelihood Diversification on Rural Women Farmers in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

A survey was conducted in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. The aim was to examine the socio-economic effects of livelihood diversification on rural women farmers in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. Multistage sampling method was used to select 7 wards in the study area. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select 10 rural women farmers from each of the wards. A total of 70 respondents form the sample size for the study. Instruments for data collection are structured questionnaire and interview schedule which were triangulated to give the needed data for the study. Frequency count, percentage and Multiple Linear Regressions were used to analyse the data. The results showed that majority of the respondents are within the age range of 41-50 years, 57.1% have at least primary education qualification, while 45.7% makes between N10,000
- N15,000 as estimated monthly income. A few of them engage in mineable crop/cash crop production, 14.2% combine livestock production and crop processing in their livelihood activities. Non-agricultural livelihood of the respondents depended on petty trading, grinding/milling machines operations, and food vendoring. Many of the respondents gave reasons that inadequate source of finance was the major factor for their livelihood diversification, also economic downturn and inadequate storage/processing facilities are some of the reason for their livelihood diversification activities. However, the results revealed that there is no significant relationship between age, marital status and livelihood diversification, while a significant relationship exists between educational level and livelihood diversification. Hence, it was recommended that government and financial institutions should endeavour to make loans available to rural women farmers in Odeda
Local Government Area of Ogun State so as to increase their farming production and capital base.