The socioeconomic characteristics of rural farmers and their net income in OJO and Badagry local government areas of Lagos state, Nigeria

Abstract

Agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for the rural dwellers in Nigeria. This primary research assesses the effects of farmers' socioeconomic characteristics and some infrastructure costs on farmers' income in two local government areas of Lagos State. The descriptive statistics show that the majority of farmers in the areas are educated and married. Farmers in the areas generate more income from the farming than non-farming activities. The OLS regression results show that the age of farmers, educational attainment and the presence of agricultural agencies positively influence farmers' income in the countryside. On the other hand, the findings show an inverse relationship between the cost of basic rural infrastructure (i.e. water and electricity) and farmers' income in the areas. For the income of the farmers in the countryside to be improved, the local councils should educate rural farmers on extension services for sustainable farming and best practices. Additionally, critical rural infrastructure, such as water and electricity should be provided at affordable rates. Arguably, this could not only improve farmers' earnings, but also make the communities attractive to the rural farmers and young people, and stabilize rural populations.