Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: Lessons from Small Scale Farmers of Niger and Kogi States

Data for this study was collected using multi-stage sampling technique using structured questionnaire and interview schedules during the 2012/2013 farming season, obtained from randomly selecting 12 LGAs from the 46 LGAs, followed by the random selection of five villages in each LGA (i.e. 60 villages), and then random selection of nine farming households in each village (i.e. 540) sample size.From the 540 sample, poor and non-poor farmers were estimated and presented under different domains using dollar per day, minimum wage and average income; and the time required for the poor to exit poverty was computed using Watts Index. Farmers in this area have exited the international poverty line as only 3% of the farmers fall below the dollar poverty line while most (66%) of them are below the average income poverty line. Farmers from Kogi States were poorer than those of Niger under the three poverty lines although almost equal per cent of male and female farmers were non-poor under the dollar poverty line. Separated family members, those from Dekina LGA and those had only in-service training seems to exhibit high level of poverty. Farmers that went through adult education training are among the richest. Eleven years is needed for the poor farmers to exit poverty on transfer of N584,267.92 ($3,651.67) to them. It appears that the critical policies needed to achieve the transformation agenda are client specific solutions to poverty reduction that addresses the issues of wealth distribution and enhanced property rights among homogenous income groups rather than national or international approach.