Boosting Rural Income Generating Activities for Economic Development of Ijesaland, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

This study is aimed at assessing the impact of Rural Income Generating Activities (RIGA) on the economic development of Ijesaland in Southwestern Ni­geria with the view to recommending a sustainable economic development policy framework for the region. Ijesaland is made up of 6 Local Government Adminis­trative Areas (LGAAs). Its 487 settlements were stratified into four Business Ac­tivity-Groups (BAGs) and the economic activities across the groups were grouped into 198 Functional Order-Centres (FOCs) according to their level of functionality. A total of 65,146 households were identified. Primary data were sourced through questionnaire administration, while secondary data were gathered from relevant published and unpublished documents as well as Focus Group Discussions, phys­ical observations, and interactions across the study area. Using stratified sam­pling technique, a household questionnaire was administered on 2% (1,303) of the household heads, while an institutional questionnaire was administered on 100 economic activity centers across stratified 20 settlements. Data collected were processed using SPSS. The study affirms RIGA as a significant strengthener of the economic development in the study area. Therefore, a RIGA boosting pol­icy-framework across the study area is recommended to make the economic de­velopment in the region more sustainable. The policy could be a template for in the homogeneous Southwestern Nigeria to ensure sustainable economy in the zone; and by extension, Nigeria with situation-relevant adjustment.