ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL INCLUSIVENESS OF VULNERABLE AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS IN FADAMA II PROJECT IN YOLA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

This is a Project Performance Assessment of the Second National Fadama Development Project implemented between 2004 and 2009. The study assessed the level of social inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups in the project in Yola North LGA of Adamawa state, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select 88 vulnerable and marginalized persons from 10 participating FUGs in the study area. The study relied on primary data collected using structured questionnaire and secondary data from the local Fadama desk office. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that, 49% of the respondents were young, female (68%), married (57%) and educated (77%). Vulnerable and marginalise based FUGs constituted 37% of the FUGs that participated in the project in the area. All the FUGs sampled patronized both the capacity building and the pilot asset components most, compared to other project components. Majority (90%) of the respondents benefited from the project, but they rate their level of participation as average (67%). The main constraints to the respondents' participation in the project were; low matching grant and internal conflicts. It was recommended that, counterpart fund share of people in this group should be reduced. Furthermore, adequate sensitization on the entire goal of the project is necessary for promoting inclusion and reducing conflict among participants.