Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2017, 65(6), 2037-2043 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201765062037

The Socioeconomic Characteristics of Rural Farmers and their Net Income in Ojo and Badagry Local Government Areas of Lagos State, Nigeria

Cathy-Austin Otekhile1, Nahanga Verter2
1 Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, nám. T. G. Masaryka 5555, 760 01 Zlín, Czech Republic
2 Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for the rural dwellers in Nigeria. This primary research assesses the effects of farmers' socioeconomic characteristics and some infrastructure costs on farmers' income in two local government areas of Lagos State. The descriptive statistics show that the majority of farmers in the areas are educated and married. Farmers in the areas generate more income from the farming than non-farming activities. The OLS regression results show that the age of farmers, educational attainment and the presence of agricultural agencies positively influence farmers' income in the countryside. On the other hand, the findings show an inverse relationship between the cost of basic rural infrastructure (i.e. water and electricity) and farmers' income in the areas. For the income of the farmers in the countryside to be improved, the local councils should educate rural farmers on extension services for sustainable farming and best practices. Additionally, critical rural infrastructure, such as water and electricity should be provided at affordable rates. Arguably, this could not only improve farmers' earnings, but also make the communities attractive to the rural farmers and young people, and stabilize rural populations.

Keywords: net income, Aiyedoto, infrastructure, rural areas, farmers

Published: December 7, 2017  Show citation

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Otekhile, C., & Verter, N. (2017). The Socioeconomic Characteristics of Rural Farmers and their Net Income in Ojo and Badagry Local Government Areas of Lagos State, Nigeria. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 65(6), 2037-2043. doi: 10.11118/actaun201765062037
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