IMPACT OF TRANSFORMING IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA (TRIMING) PROJECT ON THE WELFARE METRICS OF RICE FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN NORTH-WEST NIGERIA

This study empirically assesses the impact of the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project on the welfare metrics of rice farming households in North-West Nigeria. The specific objective is to determine the impact of TRIMING Project on the Per capita expenditure, food expenditure and total household expenditure of the rice farmers. Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) approach was used for this analysis. A primary data was collected from 669 rice farmers (335 participants and 334 non-participants) across Jigawa and Zamfara States. The findings reveal a significant positive impact of the TRIMING Project on various household expenditure metrics, including total household expenditure, food expenditure, and per capita expenditure for participating households. Determinants such as household size, education level, years of experience, access to irrigation canals, and extension services significantly influence household expenditure patterns for both participant and non participant groups. The study also highlights the importance of institutional factors like cooperative membership and access to credit and extension services in influencing participation in the TRIMING Project. These results underscore the effectiveness of large-scale irrigation projects in enhancing the welfare of smallholder farmers and provide crucial insights for policymakers aiming to improve agricultural productivity and poverty reduction in similar contexts.