An Assessment of Rural Development Aquaculture Programme in Rivers State, Nigeria (The Case of Buguma Community)
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Volume 4, Issue 9, September – 2019 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 An Assessment of Rural Development Aquaculture Programme in Rivers State, Nigeria (The Case of Buguma Community) 1. Tpl. Ikiriko Tamunoikuronibo Dawaye, Greater Port Harcourt City Dev. Authority 2. Tpl. Samuel, Dagogo, Rivers State University 3. Arc. Anthony Enwin, Rivers State University Abstract:- The high rate of urbanization and population solutions of the essence of developing entrepreneurship in explosion in the world has placed high demand for food rural youths. Buguma is one of the riverine communities in especially the demand for fish, which has continued to rise. Rivers State that have more than 90% of the land area Globally, aquaculture has manifested as a significant surrounded by natural river bodies and this creates the means of nutritious food production, income generation enabling environment for the aquaculture (see fig.3). and livelihood support in the lives of people. This study investigated the impact of aquaculture farming on In 2010 United Nation's Food and Agriculture economic improvement of residents’ of Buguma in Rivers Organization (FAO) Stated that World Fisheries and State of Nigeria. The study was undertaken as a mixed Aquaculture credited 62% of all the global fishing to China, method research with the use of convenience and stratified 4.5% to Europe, 26% to Asia and 4.5% to America but random sampling of households in twenty eight (28) streets Nigeria with all the rivers and water bodies still import fishes. in Buguma. The total number of questionnaires It is on this note the Rivers State government in 2013 went administered to residents households’ heads were 384 and into partnership with a private aquaculture organisation to 376 were retrieved. The research design used was the build the Buguma Fish farm to create jobs, increase seafood Triangulation Mixed-Method Design and the data were production, reduce depression in the youths and increases the analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques involving protein content of local diets. It was also partly conceptualized bar charts, pie charts, histogram with mode and to fulfill an aspect of the Millennium Development Goals. percentages. The result revealed that 73.0% of the respondents were of the opinion that the Buguma fish farm Hunting for fish or catching fish in the open river in the had positive impact on the residents, while 5.8% sees more rural coastal areas of the state was an occupation of people of its negative impact. In terms of benefits derived from living in the riverine communities in Rivers State but this is the fish farm by the residents, 59.0% strongly agreed that gradually becoming unattractive because of factors such as it was a source of employment. With this positive rural to urban migration and the effects of illegal refining of information, the Buguma aquaculture can be used to crude oil businesses. Aquaculture is new paradigm, a welcome improve the economic stay of Buguma and other riverine development in sustenance of the fishing culture of the people communities. Thus, it is recommended that the Buguma of Buguma. aquaculture farms be restored with proper collaboration with the state government, local government, experienced Crop farming in the upland areas and fishing in the companies and other stakeholders and that the key coastal communities of Rivers State were complementary and stakeholders should adopt an agropolitan development had been the backbone of Rivers State economy for many model that will boost economic activities and guide rural years. However, the focus changed when oil was discovered in development in this study area. Oloibiri community of the then Rivers State in 1956. Today, aquaculture is gradually replacing the primary occupation of Keywords:- Aquaculture, Rural Development, Fishing. the people of Buguma, the administrative headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government area of Rivers State in Nigeria. I. INTRODUCTION’ The young and old, educated and illiterates that have moved to the urban areas are returning to take advantage of the In recent times, the attention of youths in developing aquaculture business in Buguma. This is another economic countries especially in the rural areas has been directed to base in addition to other available secondary occupations such entrepreneurship aimed at reducing the growing pace of as education and health. The total employment in these sectors poverty and unemployment. Aquaculture is the farming of is not more than 5% of the total population. The vast majority aquatic organisms, including fish, crustaceans and aquatic are left to take decisions either to migrate to urban centres or plants. It is the farming of aquatic equivalent of agriculture on to resort to the traditional fishing and farming at a subsistence land ( FAO, 2010). This artificial system remains one of the level leaving the vast local resources in the rivers and creeks IJISRT19SEP1531 www.ijisrt.com 617 Volume 4, Issue 9, September – 2019 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 untapped. This has led to consistent poverty, unemployment, study on aquaculture potential of Rivers State (Gordon et al., hunger and high levels of incivilities. 2003). II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Buguma is a community in Rivers State and possessed the ideal components for aquaculture advancement. These Rivers State holds promise for aquaculture advancement potentials were supported with the establishment of the in Nigeria. This is because of a number of factors or ideal Buguma fish farm but quite surprisingly, the aquaculture farm components such as its unique location in the Niger Delta, is not thriving. As at the time of this study, the Buguma fish availability of abundant water resources, favorable year round farm has ceased operations, workers sent home and equipment tropical season, thriving fishing culture and fish consumers. vandalized. The hallmark of it is that, the Buguma community Others are Niger Basin Development Authority, Tertiary residents whose primary occupation is traditional fishing to institutions with aquaculture training programs, aquaculture earn a living can hardly go out for fishing because of pipeline professionals, researchers. These facts were supported by a vandalism triggered pollution, rape of women fisherfolks, piracy, kidnapping and theft in the creeks. Fig. 1:- Map of Study Area Source: Adapted by Researcher from Nigerian Muse, 2010 IJISRT19SEP1531 www.ijisrt.com 618 Volume 4, Issue 9, September – 2019 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 Fig. 2:- Map of Buguma showing Streets Source: Researcher, 2018 III. AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY IV. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The aim of this study is to assess the economic impacts Qualitative and quantitative methods are most often used of aquaculture development on Buguma community, Rivers in exploratory studies (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). The State. The major objective is to appraise the operational combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of data success and challenges of the Buguma aquaculture collection and analysis commonly called mixed method was development from 2013-2018. The study was conducted in used. Mixed method became needful and convenient since it Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area has the capacity to provide detailed and comprehensive data in of Rivers State, Nigeria. Buguma City historically is the order to achieve the research objectives and answer the foundation of the Kalabari kingdom where the King Amachree research questions (Bryman, 2006). This study belongs to the dynasty sits. Buguma is an Island that is surrounded by sea class described as ‘Triangulation Mixed-Method Design and creeks (the Asari-Toru –Buguma Sea leading to the (Cresswell & Tashakkori, 2007), because the qualitative and Cawthorne channels and the Amanyanabo Okolo creek quantitative data are collected at the same time and emphasis connecting to the Girls Secondary School Marywood through is placed on both qualitative and quantitative data in to the Buguma fish farm site). Buguma shears boundary on establishing result and making recommendation (Cresswell, East by Bukuma community of Degema Local Government 2002). Triangulation mixed-method design allows residents Area. On the south at the tributaries leading to the Atlantic perception and expectations to be explored and better Ocean, On the West by Angulama, Omekwetariama, Minama, understood both qualitatively and quantitatively. Samples Krakrama, Sangama communities and on the north by Ido were drawn from the relevant populations and studied community of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area. concurrently. Residents of Buguma and specifically the fisher folks were major cohorts of consideration. Buguma like other settlements in the Niger Delta is engulfed with a predominant mangrove swamp vegetation and V. RESULTS/ RESEARCH FINDINGS tropical rain forest climate. The people are pre-occupied with fishing along the creeks that criss-cross the area and sea Length of Stay in Buguma fishing traditionally in canoes. Buguma is dominated by one In Table 1, a total of 5.6% of respondents (21) had been traditional language known as Kalabari. Buguma community in Buguma for 1-5years, 26.86% of respondents (101) had enjoys rural-urban and urban-rural linkage by the Emuohia- stayed in Buguma for 6-10years, 20.2% of respondents (76) Abonnema-Buguma link road thus making