No abstract

This study is aimed at assessing the impacts of Third National Fadama Development Project (NFDP III) on provision of Small-scale Community-owned Infrastructures (SCIs) for poverty reduction. The sector goal of NFDP III was to reduce poverty by improving the living conditions of the rural poor; contribute to food security and increase access to rural infrastructure. The study made use of questionnaires to generate primary data from 245 respondents whilst Project Implementation Manuals, Appraisal Reports, Baseline and Midline Surveys, etc constituted the secondary data. The study found out that outcomes of NFDP III had profound impacts on the incidence of poverty of the beneficiaries. For example in Kaduna State, incomes of Crop farmers increased by 199% and Livestock owners by 221%. In Sokoto State, the incomes of Crop farmers increased by 225% and Livestock owners by 315%. The food security situation of about 84.4% and 98.3% of the beneficiaries had improved, greatly and the socio-economic conditions of 74.2% and 95.7% of the beneficiaries had been promoted, significantly. The study recommends that to further sustained the impetus created by NFDP III on poverty reduction in Nigeria, the Federal, States and Local Governments should as a matter of concern, extend their commitments beyond those of facilitating the provision of rural infrastructure to those of scaling-up the levels of provision, maintenance and management and poverty reduction should ever remain part of national development goals.

The purpose of this paper was to examine the causes of corruption in Nigeria as well as suggesting the Wayforward. This paper examines the root causes of corruption in Nigeria with a view to proffer solution to the menace. This study is a conceptual in approach, as such the paper utilizes secondary source of data collection and reflective method of data analysis was also utilized. Analytical findings shows that moral backwardness and greediness, were identified as some of the causes of corruption in Nigeria. This paper, therefore, suggest that to eradicate corruption the following measures must be taken, rebuilding the moral base of Nigerians, where the culture of integrity, honesty, sincerity, hard work, love for others and dedication will be encouraged.

The importance of education on all aspect of human endeavor is incontestable as education plays a significant role in human and economic development of a nation. Many studies around the globe have proved that education is the most potent tool in poverty reduction effort. This is because as the level of education increases the probability of becoming poor also reduces. The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of NGO on the relationship between education and agricultural productivity in Katsina State Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative method by using questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. A total of 430 questionnaires was distributed to the respondents from the six-local government of the state and 410 were returned accounting for 95 percent rate of return and 400 screened questionnaires was used for further analysis. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling PLS-SEM was used as data analysis tools. The major finding of the study indicated that, there exists positive relationship between education and agricultural productivity and NGO also moderate the relationship between education and agricultural productivity. Conclusively this study revealed that education is a viable mechanism for improving agricultural productivity. This study suggested that, government at various level should partner with NGO in bringing about development, especially of the rural areas. This study has contributed to the literature in development studies as this study is the first to introduce NGO as a moderating variable in development study.

The purpose of this paper was to examine the the factors that impairs African development such as slave trade, colonization, neocolonization and corruption which played a vital role in stagnating African development. This study is conceptual one, utilizing secondary source of data, and the method of analysis was analytical. This study revealed that apart from slave trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism, corruption is the most devastating factor that stagnate African development. The study recommends that corruption should be fought from all angles and severe punishment should be meted on corrupt officials. This study argues that African underdevelopment could be traced to slave trade era where about 15-20 million of able bodied men and women were carted away from Africa to Europe and subsequently to America. Africans were colonized and their mineral resources were exploited, and in order to continue the exploitation of the African resources neo-colonialism was introduced through their stooges and multiNational Corporations. The African leaders on their part embezzled public funds which has greatly affected the development effort negatively.