National Development Strategies and Challenges of Peasants Agriculture in Nigeria

Onuoha; Peter Chuks; Okore; Michael Okiemute

doi:10.56201/jpslr.vol.11.no3.2025.pg15.28

📄 Download Paper

National Development Strategies and Challenges of Peasants Agriculture in Nigeria

Onuoha, Peter Chuks, Okore, Michael Okiemute

Abstract

The main concern of this paper is to examine the various development policies or strategies of the government and its effects on the growth of peasant agriculture on one hand and the challenges hindering the advancement of peasant agriculture in Nigeria. This paper is of the view that there have been bitter experiences of the peasants of this nation over the failure of the country to better their lots by enhancing agricultural production despite various articulated developmental/agricultural policies and projects initiated by each succeeding administration. Why has these developmental policies/strategies not engendered or ensured sustainable peasants’ agricultural development and food security in Nigerian economy? This is also the concern of this work. There is not enough literature in this area. Data were collected through secondary sources. The institutional theory of analysis propounded by Emily Durkheim and Douglas North was adopted as theoretical framework. The paper reveals poor implementation of developmental/agricultural policies and programme designs as the bane of the growth and development of the peasants’ agriculture in Nigerian economy. It also identifies efforts of government towards increasing agricultural productivity through the establishment of agricultural programmes and projects from the early 70s to date. It recommends careful planning and scientific forecasting and institutionalization of improved implementation mechanisms and the inclusion of the peasant farmers in the formulations of agricultural policies as the main factors that would bring about the desired growth, improvement, transformation as well as development both in agricultural sector and over-all development of the economy. This study will be beneficial to the government and her relevant agencies, students, agriculturalists, interventionist agencies and scholars.

Keywords

PeasantsAgricultural policiesDevelopmentStateEconomy.

References

Abasilim, U. D. (2015) Development and Its Challenges in Nigeria: A Theoretical Discourse, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol. 6 No 6 S2, November Acemoglu, D. and Robinson, J. (2012), Why Nations Fail, New York, Crown Business. Adeniyi, O (2014), International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention,2319 – 7714 Volume 3 Issue 4, National Development Strategies: Challenges and Options, Department of Sociology Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Omu-Aran Kwara State, Nigeria Agbogo, O.A (2011)Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences, Vol 9, No 1 (2011)Analysis of the Agricultural Policies in the Development of the Nigerian Economy (1960 - 2010). Ake, C (1993), Democracy and Development in Africa, Owerri, Spectrum Books Ltd. Aranson, P. H. (1998) Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE) Vol. 154, No. 4 (Dec. 1998), pp. 744-753.The New Institutional Analysis of Politics. Bade, O, (1983), Imperialism and Underdevelopment in Nigeria: The Dialectics of Mass Poverty. Nigeria. Macmillan. Blair, J. and Carroll, M. (2009) Local Economic Development: Analysis, Practices, and Globalization. California. Sage Publications. Center for the Study of Institutions, Population and Environmental Change.(2005). Institutional Analysis at CIPEC. Retrieved 2009-11-19. Dalton, G. (1964), International Social Science Journal 16, "The Development of Subsistence and Peasant Economies in Africa." De Janvry, Alain. (1981), The Agrarian Question and Reformism in Latin America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Edwin, D (1972).The National Development Plan, Ibadan: Nigeria Institute of Economic and Social Research. Igbokwe, E.M. and Enwere, N.J (2001) Participatory Rural Appraisal in Development Research, Enugu: New Generation Ventures Ltd. Ikotun, A. (2002) Strategies for Promoting Integrated Rural Development in Nigeria: Theory and Practice, Lagos: Matram (West Africa) Consultant. Kincaid, Douglas A. (1993), ed. "Peasants into Rebels: Community and Class in Rural El Salvador." In Constructing Culture and Power in Latin America, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Klein, Martin, (1980) ed. Peasants in Africa: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. Beverley Hills, Calif.: Sage. Kuznets, S. (1966). Modern Economic Growth: Rate, Structure and Spread, New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University Press. Mafeje, Archie. "Peasants in Sub-Saharan Africa." African Development 10, no. 3 (1977): 412– Mansell, R and Wehn, U. (1998) Knowledge Societies: Information Technology for Sustainable Development. New York, Oxford University Press. Mbakogu, I.F. (2004) ls There Really a Relationship between Culture and Development, Kamia- Raj. Myint, H. and Krueger, A.O (2009) “Economic Development” Encyclopedia Britannica. National Planning Commission (2004) National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, Abuja. National Planning Commission of Nigeria. Vision 2020 http://wikipedia accessed July 30 2019. Ndukwe, C. (2005) Issues in Rural and Community Development, Enugu: John Jacobs Classic Publishers Ltd. Nwabueze, B. (2019: July 30), Division in the Country being pushed to near-breaking point by RUGA settlement Controversy. The Guardian. Ogundele, J.A (2008) Agricultural Development Projects (ADP): An Imperative Approach to Sustainable Rural Development in Nigeria, Journal of Applied Sciences Vol. 3:324-328. Ohagwu, C.A. (2010) Rural Development in Nigeria: Issues, Concepts and Practice, Enugu, John Jacobs Classic Publishers Ltd. Olawepo, R.A (2004) Ilorin Journal of Business and Social Sciences Vol 8 Nos 1&2,Managing the Nigerian Rural environment for Sustainable Development through participatory rural appraisal. Osakwe, R. N. (2010). Education for People with Special Needs in Nigeria: Challenges and Way Forward. In M. I. Atinmo, J. B. Babalola, O. A. Moronkola and A. I. Atanda. (Eds). Education for Sustainable Development. Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan.33-43. Powell, B. G. (2000), Elections as Instruments of Democracy: Majoritarian and Proportional Views. New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University Press. Rodney, W (2009), How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Abuja, Panaf Publishing. Seniyi, R. (1998) Rural Development Problems in Nigeria: The Need for Beneficiary Participation in Igun and Mordi (Eds.) Contemporary Social Problems in Nigeria. Ijebu Ode. Shebiotimo Publications. Shepsle, K and Bonchek, M. (2010), Analyzing Politics, Second Edition, Norton, Oxford University Press. The Economic Development of Nigeria: Report of a Mission organized by IBRD at the request of the Governments of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the Johns Hopkins Press, 1995, pp.20- University of Iowa Center for International Finance and Development E-Book. Wolf, Eric R. (1966), Peasants. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

National Development Strategies and Challenges of Peasants Agriculture in Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND LEADERSHIP RESEARCH