ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF NGO’S POVERTY REDUCTION INTERVENTIONS AMONG WOMEN FARMERS IN DAMBAM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the impact of non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) poverty reduction interventions on women farmers in Dambam Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria. A two-stage sampling technique was employed to select respondents. In the first stage, five wards were purposively selected based on high women’s participation in NGO intervention programmes. In the second stage, a purposive random sampling method was used to select respondents, with 100 women initially sampled (20 from each ward). After data cleaning, valid responses from 96 respondents were analysed.  Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate significant improvements in monthly income levels, with the percentage of respondents earning over ₦50,000 increasing from 16.7% to 22.9%, while those earning ₦20,000 or less dropped from 19.8% to 8.3%. Productivity-focused interventions, such as the provision of farming equipment (Mean = 3.69, SD = 0.72) and fertilizers (Mean = 3.42, SD = 0.66), were highly rated by respondents. Other impactful measures included training programmes (Mean = 3.14, SD = 0.61) and capital provision (Mean = 3.02, SD = 0.58). Additionally, 91.7% of respondents reported improved productivity, 85.4% affirmed the ability to pay children’s school fees, and 77.1% noted reduced marital conflicts. Despite these achievements, challenges such as limited accessibility to interventions (Mean = 3.22, SD = 0.63), high interest rates on credit (Mean = 3.36, SD = 0.67), and governance issues, including corruption (Mean = 3.28, SD = 0.77) and selfishness of district heads (Mean = 3.88, SD = 0.83), remain significant barriers. The study concludes that targeted NGO interventions have the potential to reduce poverty and empower women farmers. Recommendations made by the study include increasing accessibility, introducing low-interest credit facilities, enhancing governance transparency, and promoting stakeholder collaboration to ensure the sustainability and scalability of these programmes. This research provides actionable insights for fostering inclusive agricultural development in the study area and region at large.