Assessment of an electronic wallet system and determinants of cassava farmers’ participation in off-farm activities in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed an electronic wallet (e-wallet) system and determinants of cassava farmers' participation in off-farm activities in Abuja, Nigeria. A sample of 67 cassava farmers was selected through a multi-stage sampling technique from six selected agricultural extension blocks. Primary data were used. Data were collected using a well-structured and well-designed questionnaire. The analytical tools used were descriptive statistics and maximum likelihood estimates using the logistic regression model. The results indicated that an electronic-wallet is an innovative, motivational mobile phone technology, the first in sub-Saharan Africa to distribute mobile phones to farmers which bring fertilizers, improved seeds, financial services, and agricultural information tips to farmers, and this increases yields and output. The electronic wallet system targeted 20 million farmers with an intention to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers in 4 years. In 2014, 1,000 agro-dealers and fourteen million five hundred farmers were registered on the electronic wallet system respectively. Also, one million two hundred farmers have also received inputs via the electronic-wallet system. The electronic-wallet system added an estimated 30-40 billion dollars to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product in 2014. Furthermore, the result shows that the age of most sampled cassava farmers fell between 36 and 50 years. About 94% of sampled cassava farmers were male. Off-farm income has the potential to improve the income of farmers. These types of activities undertaken by cassava farmers off the farms include: Olugbenga Omotayo Alabi et al. 400 trading, etc. Farmers' age, farming experience and number of off-farm activities were significant variables influencing farmers' participation in off-farm activities at P ≤ 0.01; P ≤ 0.10; and P ≤ 0.01 respectively. The coefficient of Nagelkerke (R 2 ) value was 0.751.This shows that the explanatory variables explain the level of participation of cassava farmers in off-farm activities at 75% level of confidence. The coefficient of Cox and Snell determinant (R 2 ) value was 0.547. Off-farm employment is an alternative strategy and has potentials to improve the income and well-being of farmers. The study recommends that government and nongovernment organizations should introduce innovations, motivations, interventions, policies that improve crop production and support the off-farm sector in order to create job opportunities so that poor households can participate and benefit directly.

Factors Influencing Output of Rice Produced and Choice of Marketing Outlets Among Smallholder Farming Households, Abuja, Nigeria

“…Therefore, an increase in the level of education, exposes a farmer to be profit-oriented and struggle to lower the transactional costs of marketing. The results are also in agreement with Alabi et al (2016) who reported that it is more likely for the more educated farmers to work off the farm which will enhance their level of productivity that will make them choose a profitable market outlet. Farm size influenced the choice of market outlet negatively for the local market and was significant at (P<0.10).…”

ASSESSMENT OF WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY ACTION IN IMPROVING FARMER-SAVED SEED YAM (CAY-Seed) PROJECT, ABUJA NIGERIA

“…The study was carried out at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Nigeria. Geographically, it is located at latitude 9 o 4 l 20.1504 ll N and longitude 7 o 29 l 28.6874 ll E. (Olugbenga, et al, 2016). It is bounded in the North by Kaduna state, in the West by Niger State, in the East by Nasarawa State and in the South by Kogi State; and is made up of six (6) Area Councils namely; Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, Bwari and Abuja Municipal.…”