Critique of Baseline Conditions of the Third National Fadama Development Project in Kogi State of Nigeria: Beneficiaries’ Perspective

The study reviewed baseline conditions of the third National Fadama Development Project in Kogi State from beneficiaries’ perspective. The synthesis was based on interview with 100 randomly selected members of adama - users, focus group discussion and official document of the project. Majority (71.0%) of the respondents were males, married (88.0%) with household size of seven persons and with a mean age of 45 years. The study revealed several shortfalls and gaps in the planning, execution and management of the project. The approach of the project though supposedly community driven seems not to have accommodated the priority needs of beneficiaries because the farmers were probably not actively represented in the planning of the project. Fadama beneficiaries did not benefit from the Agricultural Development Program (ADP) Support and Adaptive Research component and the advisory service was not demand responsive as designed to be. Moreover, the strength of the project in terms of resources was more on maintenance/logistics than the actual implementation process at the farmers’ level. The study recommends that development planners should evolve appropriate and stringent measures to ensure effective monitoring and increased involvement of the beneficiaries and other stakeholders in the planning and implementation of development project. The design of project should be flexible to accommodate various geographical peculiarities. Development intervention should be gender sensitive with specific projects and funds for women and the vulnerable.