CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Over the years, several agricultural programmes have been introduced to increase the economy of the nation, mostly farmers, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Some of these programmes include: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Agricultural Development Programmes (ADP), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), and National Economic Empowerment and Development (NEED), The Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DIFRRI), National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Accelerated Food Production Programme (NAFPP), Green Revolution (GR), Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), etc. (World Bank, 2011), but it seems that these efforts have yielded little or no impact on the nation’s economy, as evident in the literature (Afolayan, 2013). Consequently, the rate of the economy in some areas keeps dropping steadily (Diamond, 2016). However, this study limits its scope to Agricultural Development Programmes (ADP), which aims at increasing the economy through food production and raising the income level of small scale farmers by making provision for improved seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, credit facilities and infrastructural facilities (Ajayi et al. 2014). The study focuses on its impact on economy in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Since inception of ADP in the state, studies to assess the impact of these provision some indigenes have never been explored in the literature. Thus, the probability of Agricultural Development Programmes resulting in good economy for ebonyi state dwellers is yet to be ascertained. Moreover, the likelihood of farmers having easy access to improved seeds, pesticides and fertilizer for farming has never been investigated. Equally very essential and related to the foregoing but yet to be examined is the probability of ADP granting farmers adequate access to credit facilities. Apart from its academic worth to the body of knowledge, this study intends to discover if the existence of Agricultural Development Programmes has actually impacted on the economy, in respect of food production and infrastructural facilities. Hunger and poor infrastructural facilities in some areas have been associated with criminal activities and low economy in many societies. If the problem of food and infrastructural facilities are adequately addressed, it could increase the rate of Ebonyi State economy.