Settlements Accessibility to Transport Routes in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: Implication for Poverty Reduction Among Farming Households

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE & SOCIAL SCIENCES ISSN Print: 1813–2235; ISSN Online: 1814–960X 10–035/SBC/2011/7–2–86–90 http://www.fspublishers.org Full Length Article Settlements Accessibility to Transport Routes in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: Implication for Poverty Reduction among Farming Households VICTOR E. UMOREN AND NSIKAKABASI A. ETIM1† Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Uyo, P.M.B 1017, Uyo, Nigeria †Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Uyo, P.M.B 1017, Uyo, Nigeria 1Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The development of the rural economy is a sine qua non for poverty reduction. This paper highlights the need for rural infrastructure particularly road development in a reforming and developing economy. The accessibility of settlements to the states and federal routes was investigated. Findings reveal that out of the 1452 settlements in the state, 46.9% were accessible while 53.1% were not accessible to either state or federal roads. The study suggests the provision of access roads that will boost agricultural production and marketing and ensure food security and poverty reduction in the rural economy. © 2011 Friends Science Publishers Key Words: Settlement; Accessibility; Transport; Poverty; Nigeria INTRODUCTION between 1980 and 1996, shows that majority of the poor are located in rural areas. In 1980, 28.3% of rural dwellers were Nigeria is a federation with a huge population of 128.7 impoverished, but by 1985, the percentage had risen to million (NPC 2006; World Bank, 2006). Nigeria is one of 51.4%. The incidence of poverty in rural areas has declined the most resource endowed nations in the world. But socio- to 46.0% in 1992 and therefore increased to 69.8% in 1996. economically, Nigerians are also among the poorest in the On the other hand, the percentage of urban residents that are world (Etim & Edet, 2007; Etim et al., 2009). Despite poor rose from 17.2% in 1980 to 37.8% in 1985, declined Nigeria’s physical and human resources there had been slightly to 37.5% in 1992 and rose to 58.2% in 1996. progressively worsening welfare condition of its nationals Grossly underdeveloped and inefficient infrastructure (Okunmadewa, 2001; Etim et al., 2009). The human and utilities have contributed significantly to the deplorable Development Report by United Nations Development poverty situation in the country. Epileptic and erratic power Programme (UNDP, 2005) revealed that Nigeria is one of supply has exacerbated the problem of capacity the poorest among the poor countries of the world. The underutilization and has eroded profitability of many poverty situation in Nigeria has been in the increase since, enterprises in various sectors of the economy leading to un- 1980. A study by Federal office of Statistics (FOS, 1999) employment and disinvestment. Lack of access roads in the showed that, the incidence of poverty raised from 28.1% to rural sector and the poor transportation system in general 46.3% between 1980 and 1985; 42.7% to 65.6% between have made the movement of goods and services difficult 1992 and 1996. In absolute terms, it implies that the and in some cases impossible, thus leading to economic population in poverty increased from 17.7 million to 34.7 waste. Most producers have to supply their own water, million between 1980 and 1985. generate their own electricity and bear the relatively high Though the level of poverty dropped to 39.2 million transport cost all of which tend to escalate the cost of impoverished people in 1992, the number of poor people production and prices. This expensive and un-reliable rose swiftly to 67.1% in 1996 (See Table I). The Human infrastructure has eroded some of the competitive edge the Poverty Index HPI-1 value for Nigeria of 38.8% ranks the country could have through cheap labor. Nigeria’s rural country 75th among 103 developing countries (See Table I). economy is very important not because it provides about The worst performer in the world is higher with HPI-1 value 95% of the food eaten by Nigerians, produces over 70% of of 64.4%, whereas the best performer in the world is the non-oil exports and employs over 70% of the working Uruguay with HPI-I value of 3.6% (See Table III). population, but also because it houses a very large Categorizing Nigerian population into those that could proportion of the poor, the malnourished, the least healthy be defined as non-poor, moderately poor and core poor and the non-literate in the society (Idachaba, 1985). The To cite this paper: Umoren, V.E. and N.A. Etim, 2011. Settlements accessibility to transport routes in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria: Implication for poverty reduction among farming households. J. Agric. Soc. Sci., 7: 86–90 SETTLEMENT ROUTS AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN FARMERS / J. Agric. Soc. Sci., Vol. 7, No. 2, 2011 rural sector of the economy inspite of its immense of roads (km) in each region (Local Government Area) by contributions to the development of the country is ironically the total area of the region (sq km). Further analysis of yet to experience considerable growth or development and tarred and un-tarred roads, length of road per unit appreciable reduction in poverty levels for a number of area/population served and tarred roads in relation to reasons, one of the most important being the lack of rural population and area in each of the region was carried out. infrastructure (Dittoh & Okunmadawa, 1990; Idachaba et al., 1980, 1981 & 1994). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The development of the rural economy is a sine qua non for poverty reduction in the country. To achieve rural Analysis of Settlements Accessibility to Transport development and poverty reduction, some policy Routes: Accessibility refers to the degree of connectivity instruments needs to be instituted and one of the most between two or more points or nodes while structure important factors is the provision of rural infrastructure. denotes spatial configuration of pattern of a network, which According to (Idachaba, 1985), accelerated provision of includes the components of the elements of the network that rural infrastructure forms the core of any effort to transform are related to the configuration (Gauthier, 1970). As noted rural Nigeria and considerably reduce its worsening poverty earlier the road transport infrastructure is the most problem. Rural infrastructure according to Idachaba et al. predominant mode of transport in the study area. An attempt (1981) is defined to include the system of physical, human was made to find out the accessibility of settlements (nodes) and institutional forms of capital, which enable rural to the different types of routes (i.e., federal & state roads) residents to better perform their production, processing and consider as main/accessible roads that link all settlements in distribution activities, as well as helping to improve the the state for which information was available. This was overall quality of life. The road transport infrastructure is based on the fact that majority of these roads are accessible the most important mode of transport because of its role in throughout the year because they are tarred or paved un-like the movement of people and goods in the country. Over the earth or local roads in some areas during the rainy 93% of all passengers and goods traffic within cities and season, which are not accessible. A large road map of Akwa rural areas are by road (Oyesiku, 1990). It is observe that Ibom State with a scale of 1:250,000, which was compiled economic development is related to efficient transport system particularly so in the spatial development of Table I: Trend in poverty level: 1980-1996 (%) countries of less developed world (Ogundana, 1978; Year Rural Urban Estimated Total Population Onakomaiya, 1978). It has been argued that the adequacy of Poverty Poverty Population in Poverty a country’s infrastructure such as roads helps to determine Level Level (million) (million) its success or failure in diversifying production, expanding 1980 28.1 17.2 65 17.7 trade, coping with population growth, reducing poverty or 1985 46.3 37.8 75 34.7 1992 42.7 37.5 91.5 39.2 protecting the environment. 1996 65.6 58.2 102.3 67.1 Source: FOS, “Poverty Profile for Nigeria 1980-1996” MATERIALS AND METHODS Table II: Human poverty in Nigeria Study area and method of data collection: Akwa Ibom HP1-rank 103 countries HPI-I Value % State is one of the states in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria 75 38.8 Nigeria. The state is a major oil producing state and thus Best Performer in Sub-Saharan Africa contributes significantly to the total revenue base of the (Mauritius) 24 11.4 nation. The state has 31 local Government areas with Uyo, Worst Performer in Sub-Saharan Africa (Niger) 103 64.4 Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Etinan, Ikot Abasi and Oron being Best Performer in the World the most developed urban centers. According to the (Uruguay) 1 3.6 National Population Census result, Akwa Ibom State had a Worst Performer in the World total population of 3,920,208 persons out of which 87.89% (Niger) 103 64.4 constitute rural population, while 12.11% constitute the Source: United Nations Development Programme, 2005 urban population (NPC, 2006), thereby accounting for 2.7% Table III: Poverty incidence by location –rural/urban of the over all national population. (in %) Data on the total length of all roads in the state and total area of all the 31 Local Government Areas in the State Year Urban Rural were obtained from the State Ministry of Works and Non Moderately Core Non Moderately Core transport, which serve as input data for the analysis.

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