THE ROLES OF THESE AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTL: AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LAND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY



Introduction
The average Nigerian farmers still produces crops and livestock at a subsistence level, and this low productivity stems partly from inadequate support from the government. At the same, the continuing increase in the size of the nation’s population has created high demand for food which was not being met with existing traditional technologies. This has caused the government of Nigeria to establish several agricultural development projects to increase food productivity and subsequently, the welfare of the rural farmers (Adejo, 1983; Umar, 2005; Dennis, 2007; Omonona, 2009). Some of these programs include Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), Green Revolution, National Accelerated Food Production Program (NAFPP), River Basin and Rural Development Authority (RBRDA) and Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs).

There is strong and urgent need to transfer and extend new practices, knowledge and skills of production to rural farmers to improve efficiency and thus improve the living standard and quality of life of the majority of the rural poor as well as improved the economy of the country. Rural people in Nigeria seem to have unique opportunities to benefit from the well tested package of the improved technologies of the Agricultural Development Project (ADP) strategies. It is the focus of this study therefore, to investigate the effect of the Adamawa ADP on the quality of life of the rural farmers.
Majority of communities in Nigeria are rural dwellers and agrarian by occupation. Development strategy for a country whose rural population are mainly farmers cannot be achieved without first sustained growth in rural income and standard of living primarily from agriculture.
It is on this note that this paper seeks to examine the roles of these agricultural institutions in economic development.

Agricultural development project
Overview of the Agricultural Development Project (ADP)
The concept of Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) evolved from the desire of the federal government to throw its might behind the state government’s efforts in the development of agricultural projects. This desire was buttressed in the Third National Development plan in which it was recognized that rapid economic development cannot be achieved within defective institutional framework (Nwoko and Mabawonku, 1983). ADPs were established in 1975 as three enclave projects in Funtau, Gombe, and Gusau. Presently, ADPs have evolved into state-wide project which covers the whole states of the country (Omonona, 2009). The main objectives of the projects are to promote agricultural and rural development especially among the small scale farmers. Some of the objectives of ADPs include:
·                  The supply of farm inputs through farm services centres.
·                  The supply, improvement of extension staff and farmers’ training.
·                  Introduction of new credit and marketing services
·                  Provision of improved seeds
·                  Provision of rural infrastructure such as rural roads, construction of dams and boreholes for water supply.

In their integrated supply of farm inputs and infrastructural support and in their efforts to revitalized and revamp extension systems, the ADPs represent a truly innovative approach to agricultural and rural development in Nigeria. Agricultural Development Project (ADP) was established to raise productivity, income and standard of living of rural farmers in Nigeria.
A study carried out by a group of researchers in Adamawa State has the following outcome:  This study assesses the effect of the ADP activities on the wellbeing of the rural farmers in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data for this study were collect on annual crop output, annual income, farm size, use of improved technology, access to credit among farmers, farmers’ training and rural infrastructure development. The data were sourced using structured questionnaire and personal interviews. The statistical analysis used to determine the effect to the project on the participating farmers include, descriptive statistics and comparability test for difference (T-test) analysis. The results indicates that Adamawa ADP had positive and significant impact on rural farmers productivity, income, access to credit, standard of living as measured by assets ownership. However, the project did not have significant impact on the rural infrastructure, adoption of improved technologies and farm sizes, even though the change from before and after ADP activities was positive. The study recommends that much attention should be paid to the provision of rural infrastructure and the needed improved technologies. The study also recommends that the two tiers of government in Nigeria should adequately fund the project to efficiently cope with its responsibility of developing the rural sector.

River basin development authority
The River Basin Authority defines its purpose as the promotion of cooperation among member countries to ensure integrated development of resources. The organisation originally defined its mission as the cooperative management of water resources, most notably, but not limited to, the Niger River. While centering of water and hydroelectric resources, the RBA nations use the organisation to harmonise development of energy, agriculture, forestry, transport, communications, and industrial resources of the member nations. The NBA has worked to create a "Integrated Development Plan of the Basin", especially focusing on cross boundary projects. The RBA itself has been ceded no sovereign power over resources or management, and therefore all regulation must be imposed by individual sovereign governments. While not the original focus of the RBA, environmental protection from the threats of desertification, deforestation and pollution of the rivers by agriculture and industry have become a major theme of their work.

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LAND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Objects of the Authority
Subject to the National Agricultural Land Development Authority Act, the objectives of the Authority shall be to-
(a)      provide strategic public support for land development which presently constitutes a major infrastructural development bottleneck hindering the development of viable economic farm holdings;
(b)      promote and support optimum utilisation of Nigeria's rural land resources for accelerated production of food and fibre;
(c)      encourage and support economic-size farm holdings and promote consolidation of scattered fragment holdings to generate net income from agriculture, which is aimed at sustaining living standards above the poverty line and thereby narrow rural-urban income inequalities;
(d)      encourage the evolution of economic-size rural settlements that will reap the economies of scale in the provision of social infrastructures;
(e)      provide gainful employment opportunities for rural people, raise rural incomes and improve on the general living standards in rural areas;
(f)       expand productive capacity in agriculture and regain export capability in traditional and non-traditional crops;
(g)      contribute significantly towards the attainment of a national food and fibre self-reliance, self-sufficiency and national food security through optimum utilisation of available abundant land resources which ensures minimum soil and environmental degradation, while simultaneously promoting sustainable agriculture;
(h)      facilitate appropriate cost-effective mechanisation of agriculture; and
(i)       institute strategic land use planning schemes to deal with major allocation problems including the creation and location of forest and grazing reserves and other areas with restricted use, and the re-location of population, should this be necessitated by localised population explosion, pressure or national disasters.

Summary and conclusion
The establishment of these agricultural institutions in Nigeria came at the heels of the country wanting to raise the standard of living of the people, provide enough food for export amongst other objectives.  These objectives although has been partially met by some of these institutions, its impact on economic development has been a remarkable one.
References

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