INFLUENCE OF GOOD ROADS ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION OF COOPERATIVE RURAL FARMERS IN BADAGRY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF LAGOS STATE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36349/lajocse.2024.v02i02.16Keywords:
Poverty, Alleviation, Cooperative, Road, Poverty and Rural FarmersAbstract
This study investigates how cooperative rural farmers' poverty can be reduced by having good roads in Badagry Local Government of Lagos State. A good road is essential for business and the timely marketing of agricultural products. In the study, a descriptive survey research design was used. In the study area, 120 farmers provided information via a structured questionnaire that was administered using a multistage sampling technique. The data were analyzed using multiple regression, frequency, percentage, and other inferential and descriptive statistics. Results show that 79.2% of roads used by the farmers were untarred while 20.8% were tarred. 28.3% of the farmers surveyed had a per capita expenditure on transportation below N20,001, while 42.5% fell within the range of N20,001 and N40,000. 76.7% spent more than N5,000 on transportation which invariably affected their profit. The reduction in poverty was positively impacted by road accessibility (t = 3.611; p = 0.000), as cooperative farmers would benefit from improved sales and profitability. The findings demonstrated a noteworthy positive correlation between road accessibility and quality of transportation and agricultural productivity and marketing (t = 5.321 for road accessibility and 6.881 for transportation quality). The low p-values (0.000) further suggest a robust and statistically significant relationship. These findings highlight the importance of well-developed road networks and transportation services in rural areas. As a result, it is advised that better road infrastructure boosts quality transportation services, supports and strengthens agriculture, and promotes strong relationships between cooperative farmers and carriers.