EFFECT OF INTERNATIONAL FUNDS FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT-VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN BENUE AND NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

The research was aimed at examining the effects of international funds for agricultural development -value chain development programme on women empowerment in Benue and Niger states, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used for the study. First stage was purposively selection of Benue and Niger states in North central. At the second stage, women (producers, processors and marketers of rice) beneficiaries in the programme was purposively selected from three (3) LGAs from each of the state making a total of 6 LGAs, The third and fourth stage involved a purposive selection of LGAs and communities in each State respectively. In all, a total of 330 respondents were selected from the LGA as the sample size for the study. The results showed that the mean age of the respondents in the study area was 49 years in Benue and 47 years in Niger state while the average family size was 7 and 9 person in Benue and Niger states respectively, and 79% and 89% were married in Benue and Niger staes respectively, with almost 33% in Quranic education in Niger and also 33% with primary education in Benue state. 96% and 97% of participating women has access to extension agents in both Niger and Benue states respectively. The result in Table 3 revealed that in Benue State, the majority of the women (98.0%) were able to employ more labourers to work for them in their various enterprises also majority of the women (83.6%) reported they were now able to pay their children’s school fees in Niger state. The distribution according to women perception in VCDP activities in Table 4 shows that in the study areas, the women respondent perceived that IFAD-VCDP was a good project. Factors influencing participation in income-generating activities within the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) include socio-economic characteristics, access to inputs and credit, and extension services. This study has also identified and analyzed the various factors influencing women's participation in rice value chain of production, processing and marketing activities under the IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP). The study recommends that financial institutions and lending agencies should work out modalities for easy access to credit facilities to small holder farmers especially women to expand their agri-business in the study area.