The Impact of the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme on Local Farmers in Nigeria

Agriculture in Nigeria has being facing a lot of challenges for a long period of time. These challenges include: sheer neglect by successive administrations after the discovery of crude oil, low productivity occasioned by traditional methods of farming, negative mindset towards farming by many citizens and over-dependence on imported foods to mention a few. However, in recent years, dramatic effort has been made by the government to improve productivity in agriculture, guarantee food security and set the stage for mass export of farm produce. This study involves descriptive survey of farmers in the federal capital territory (FCT) and a case analysis of growth enhancement support scheme (GESS) of the government. The study was set out to explore the role the facilities in place especially in the area of information and communications Technology has played in enhancing food production. A qualitative approach was adopted in this research. A total of 52 local famers in Bwari Area Council of FCT were randomly selected. Primary data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and likert scale were used to analyze the data. The study shows that majority of the farmers used and benefitted from lCT facilities such as radio, television, mobile phone and internet. The research showed that lCT positive impart in agriculture among respondents is 76.92% as against non-impart of 15.38%. The breakdown of the figure indicates that 54% of the respondents had improved yield, 18% had increased income and 14% had better standard of living.