Assessment of male and female participation in livestock group activities in Kwara State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Livestock production plays a significant role in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, contributing to food security, income generation, and poverty alleviation. In Kwara state, the involvement of both male and female farmers is essential for improving productivity and fostering inclusive agricultural development. The main objectives of the study was to assess the level of participation of male and female farmers in livestock group activities. Specific objectives were to; describe the socio-economic characteristics of livestock groups farmers in the study area, examine the level of participation in male and female livestock production activities, and identify the factors associated with participation between male and female in livestock group. An interview schedule was used to extract information from One hundred and Eighty-two Livestock groups farmers using Frequency counts, percentage, mean score, standard deviation, and Logistic regression analysis. Findings revealed that Male respondents were predominantly aged 41 above (50.4%) while female respondents 40years of age bracket (59.6%) with a mean score (38.6), secondary education being the most common (36.0% for males, 40.4% for females), majority of respondents were married (90.4% of males, 84.2% of females). Male respondents have low participation (MS 2.55) compared to female respondents demonstrated significantly higher involvement in livestock production activities (MS 2.58). The study conclude that women are actively involved in livestock production activities in the study area and the study recommended promoting inclusive livestock development programs; to address barriers to participation and leverage the strengths of both genders.