1. Introduction

The citizens of most underdeveloped countries of the world have been undernourished (FAO, 2008). An average adult in these countries lives on an income of less than a dollar per day (UNDP, 2007). Therefore, one of the millennium development goals in these areas has been centered on income generation among others like hunger and disease controls (UN, 2008).

Imo State, Nigeria is among the 12 World Bank assisted states implementing National Fadama Development Project. This is aimed at to sustainably increase the income of all users especially those residing in the rural areas through embarking on agriculture, industry and community development projects that add returns to investment. The Fadama Project was also initiated to address some of the factors that militated against the full realization of the potential benefits of agricultural production activities. Among these factors are poor development of rural infrastructure, lack of storage and processing facilities and market outlets. Others are low investment in irrigation technology, poor organization of farmers as well as lack of capital and adequate techniques for greater productivity.

The beneficiaries of the projects were not only crop and animal farmers but also pastoralist, fish folks, hunters’ gatherers, service providers as well as vulnerable and marginalized groups. But the focus is on livestock farmers. The appraisal is used to assess progress so far made in respect to livestock production with the Fadama program in Imo State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study included looking at increased income of the users as well as increased capacity of utilization and empowered community in the long run.

2. Materials and Methods

The implementation approach in the project was through community driven development. This is a bottom-up approach whereby communities and other lower government entities are empowered to develop participatory and social inclusive local development plans. Multi-stakeholders institutions were established at various levels. These were the State Fadama Development Committee (SFDC) at state level, Local Fadama Development Committee (LFDC) at the Local Government (LG) level and Fadama Management Committee (FMC) at Fadama User Group (FUG) and Fadama Community Association (FCA) at community level to see the efficient and effective implementation of the project. The program lasted from 2004 to 2007.

The areas involved in the projects are located between longitude 7⁰ 18'E to 7⁰ 21'E and latitude 50 37'N to 50 47'N (Source: Ministry of Lands and Survey, Owerri, Nigeria). Eleven Local Government Areas (LGAs) out of the 27 LGAs in Imo State benefited from the program. One hundred and forty FCAs were formed and 177 local development plans were prepared using a total of 1,132 FUGs with membership strength of 26,068 people composed of 17,462 males (67%) and 8,606 females (33%). The Table below shows distribution of FCAs and FUGs in the State.

Table 1． Populations of FCAs and FUGs in the LGAs

The total International Donor Agency (IDA) allocation of fund to the state was 7 million US dollars of which US$5,644,729.30 have been drawn. The State Government had contributed 45.30 million naira. This is 65% of planned target. The participating LGAs had paid 11 million naira (33% achievement of the planned target). Leaving out an outstanding balance. The monies were paid in 2004-2006. But the counterpart fund contributions for 2005 and 2006 from the beneficiary LGAs had not been paid as at January, 2007. Counterpart contributions of the State and LGAs are as shown in Tables 2-3.

Table 2. Status of the State counterpart fund contribution State Year Target (^000,000) Actual (^000,000) Percent (%) Imo State Gov. 200420052006 212121 19620.30 90.4028.5796.60 Total 63 45.30

Table 3. Status of the LG counterpart fund contribution LGA Year Target(^000,000) Actual(^000,000) Percent (%) 11 partici pating LGAs 200420052006 111111 11NilNil 100NilNil Total 33 11

3. Results and Discussions

The Table 4 (a-c) below shows the achievements recorded of the projects based on LGAs.

Table 4a. Completed Projects in the LGAs (Livestock) LGAs FCA/FUG Subproject Status of Project Ehime Mbano Umuchioke/Umunumo Livestock Farmers Poultry house construction Completed Feed mill in-stallation Completed Umunumo Food Proing Cooperatives Food processing mill installation Completed Nkwerre Umuadiele/Umunwa Chukwu Fisher Folks Fish pond construction Completed Nnanano Phylis Lives-tock Feed mill Completed Oguta Oguta/Ogbuide Fisher Folks Procurement of fishing gears Completed Ohaji/Egbema Umuapu/Umuali Livestock Farmers Piggery house expansion Completed Owerri North Chigozie Farmers Piggery pen construction Completed Owerri North Farmers Fish pond construction Completed Obioma Emekukwu Farmers Poultry house construction Completed Ofuobi Azaraugbo Umuanyaso Farmers Piggery pen construction Completed Umuoba Uratta Cold room in-stallation Completed

Table 4b. Completed Projects in the LGAs (Crops) LGAs FCA/FUG Subproject Status of project Ehime Mbano Umuchioke/Umunumo Gartherers Cassava processing mill Completed Harvesters Palm oil processing mill Completed Nkwerre Isiogwugwu Widows Acquisition & installation of garri processing machine Completed Umudi/Uzodinma Cassava processing mill Completed Okechukwu Youths Palm oil processing mill Completed Oguta Oguta 1/Ibina Farmers Palm oil processing mill Completed Ohaji/Egbema Mmahu Widows Farm tools supply Supplied Owerri North Owerri North Divine Mercy Farmers Palm oil processing mill Completed

Table 4c. Completed Projects in the LGAs (Others) LGA FCA/FUG Subprojects Status of Projects Owerri North Umuoba Uratta Cold room in-stallation Completed Youth Development Association Cold room installation Completed

Total of 534 subprojects were implemented but 277 were completed. Out of these 63 poultry houses/pens, 2 cold rooms were constructed and 12 fishing equipments were acquired made up of 3 fishing tools, 4 canoes and 5 out board engines. Also realized was 1 honey collection equipment, 22 fishing ponds were constructed, 8 markets stalls were built and 2 cropped annual yield surveys were conducted. One farm budget proposal was prepared and executed. 150 service providers were registered and 36 bore holes were sunk to provide water for irrigation and other purposes.

The agro processing machines (209 in number) provided employment for individuals either as operators or security men. Market facilities like stalls/shops, cooling sheds, open market sheds were constructed to provide market linkages for farm produce for both raw and processed goods.

The benefiting communities had been capacitated to undertake participatory rural appraisal and community planning as to prepare local development plans undertake community based procurement as well as participatory monitoring and evaluation. These were achieved through regular training and retraining of benefiting communities which community driven development approach emphasized. Fund that was directly disbursed to communities for subprojects implementation also contributed to the success observed.

Now than ever before the communities have greater sense of project ownership, thus enhancing project sustainability. Project implementation bottlenecks like bureaucracy and red tapes were almost eliminated.

4. Conclusions

From the results of the Fadama projects executed success was recorded in having greater food production, employment generation and poverty reduction of beneficiaries. The projects had set back in that some local governments did not pay their counter part funds. This affected the completion of some of the proposed projects. For sustainability of the program the local governments should pay their counter part fund as when due.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researchers acknowledged the World Bank who through its donor agencies provided the bulk of the fund utilized in executing the projects at the community levels. Our gratitude is extended to the government, the Local government areas who paid their counter part fundings and the Imo State Agricultural Development Program agency that provided some of the extension teams for the projects.