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The Impact of Road Development on Rural Employment (Farming) in
Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State
Okhani, Vincent Ayegwalo
and Asunogie, Faruk Osigbhemhe.
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Environmental Studies, Auchi
Polytechnic, Auchi, Nigeria
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150600234
Received: 13 July 2026; Accepted: 18 July 2026; Published: 28 July 2026
ABSTRACT
Development can be defined as improving the welfare of a society through appropriate social, political, and
economic conditions including employment opportunities. This study is aimed at examining the impact of road
development on rural employment (farming) in Etsako West local government area of Edo state through, taking
inventory of rural employment in the study area, examining the existing road transport facilities in the area,
assessing the effect of roads on rural employment and analyzing the impact of road transport on rural
employment. Using both primary and secondary data for the study, the primary data were obtained through the
use of questionnaires administered on 12 wards in the study area, administering 485 questionnaires in total and
Scheduled interviews with the LGA secretariat. This was done using a systematic random sampling method.
Findings revealed that farming accounts for 55.7% of employment, shifting cultivation is the most prominent
type of agricultural practice, with represents 91.1%, Cassava, with 33. 3% is the predominant crop cultivated
alongside Vegetables, Maize, Beans Groundnut and Yam, types of roads used to farms are mainly footpaths,
earth roads and Tarred roads and majority of the farms are only connected with footpaths making accessibility
to farm very poor and increasing the expected time spent to go to the farm and from the farm to the communities,
this led to high cost of transport and abandonment of produce in farms, among others. The study therefore
recommended Construction and Rehabilitation of Farm Access Roads, Adoption of Rural Road Network
Planning, Provision of Maintenance Framework for Rural Roads, Subsidy and Transport Support for Farmers,
Promotion of Larger and Commercial Farm Sizes and Integration of Agricultural and Road Development Policies
Keywords: Rural Employment, Farming, Development, Access, Impact
INTRODUCTION
Background
Development can be defined as improving the welfare of a society through appropriate social, political, and
economic conditions. The expected outcomes are quantitative and qualitative improvements in human
capital (e.g. income and education levels) as well as physical capital such as infrastructures (utilities, transport,
telecommunications), (Ogunleye, Ajibola, Enilolobo, and Shogunle, 2018).
Majority of the poor people in the world live in rural areas where the public infrastructure especially road is
poor. About 70% of the population of Nigeria lives in the rural areas (Aboyade 1976, Onokerhoraye and Okafor
1984, Yesufu, 2005). This majority of the rural population depends on agriculture for livelihood (Akinbode
2005). The inadequate and poor condition of roads reduce the access to rural areas, limit the use of local market
for the sales of agricultural products, the purchase of consumer goods and opportunities for off-farm
employment. This is because the natural and human environment must be properly managed and harnessed so
that it can result in enhanced and sustainable development, (Ufuah,1998).
The development of roads in the rural area is not taken seriously in Nigeria. According to Umoren et al., (2009),
it is either taken for granted or it is difficult to quantify its direct and indirect effects. Over the years federal and
state government place emphasizes on the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of federal and state
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roads, and intra – urban and inter – urban roads to the complete neglect of the rural roads. Rural road network
must be seen as an integral part of the entire road transport framework, since they constitute a major factor in
rural growth and development. In the rural environment, the physical condition of most of the existing earth or
laterite roads, especially during the rainy season is quite bewildering.
According to Jerry and Dietal (2005), road transportation in most developing countries is poor. It is estimated
that about 900 million rural dwellers in developing countries do not have reliable all-season access to main road
networks and about 300 million do not have motorized access at all (Saburi, 2012). During the wet season, the
roads become almost inaccessible. This results in substantial loss of perishable agricultural produce, high cost
of moving agricultural produce, and other products and exorbitant cost of vehicle maintenance. Thus culminating
into inefficiency and high cost of food stuffs and other products derived from rural area (Ogunsanya, 1987).
Attempt to solve this problem have been made severally.
The World Bank assisted agricultural development projects have been no exception. As a result of the engraving
poverty of the Rural economy, according to Olisa and Obiukwu (1992) the World Bank in 1970 decided to shift
more attention to rural development as a means of alleviating the problems of the rural poor. The programme
did not really yield much dividend to the assaulted peasants, roads where not constructed to open up the rural
areas which Etsako region belongs. Rural employment is concerned with the employment opportunities available
in rural settlements.
Employment opportunities need road transportation to increase economic activities that contribute to rural
development. According to Ali and pernia, (2003), rural infrastructure investments can lead to higher farm and
non-farm productivity, employment and income opportunities, and increased availability of wage goods, thereby
reducing poverty by raising mean income and consumption. This perhaps is the link between rural employment
and road development, a visible reality that is persistently glaring in Etsako West local government area – the
study focus.
The justification for the study lies in the critical role that road infrastructure plays in unlocking agricultural
productivity and livelihood opportunities in rural areas. Etsako West LGA is predominantly agrarian, with a large
population of farmers engaged in the cultivation of yam, cassava, maize, and cash crops. However, poor road
networks have long constrained access to farmlands, increased post-harvest losses, and limited farmers’ ability
to transport produce to major markets in Auchi, Jattu, and neighboring states at competitive costs. This has
resulted in low farm incomes, youth migration to urban centers, and underemployment within the agricultural
sector. Understanding this relationship will provide empirical evidence to guide policymakers, the Edo State
Ministry of Agriculture, and local government authorities in prioritizing road investments that directly improve
rural livelihoods, reduce poverty, and enhance food security in Etsako West.
Aim and Objectives
This study is aimed at examining the impact of road development on rural employment (farming) in Etsako West
local government area of Edo state. This will be achieved through the following objectives.
1. Take inventory of rural employment in the study area.
2. Examine the existing road transport facilities in the area.
3. Assess the effect of roads on rural employment.
4. Analyze the impact of road transport on rural employment
Method of Study
The data for this study were obtained mainly from primary and secondary sources. The research population of
the study area is the households. One settlement each was selected from each ward for this study. This was based
on the most populated settlement in the ward. A sample size of 4.5% of the households from the population was
taken, representing 485 respondents. A systematic random sampling technique was adopted, using an interval of
10 households in each settlement.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
Impact of Road Transport on Rural Development
Generally, rural areas server as the base for the production of food and fiber, the major sources of capital
formation for a country, and a principal market for domestic manufactures (Olayiwola and Adeleye, 2005). In
general terms, the rural areas engage in primary activities which form the foundation for any economic
development. Despite this level of contribution to economic development, rural areas have been neglected in
terms of development which has made it non- attractive to live in and also increase poverty level in the rural
areas (Adedeji, et al, 2014). In Nigeria, the issue of rural transportation development has continued to be of
national importance. For instance, most of the rural roads are in poor condition, and this has imposed significant
cost on the national economy especially to the agricultural activities due to increased vehicle operating costs and
travel times (Akintola, 2007). This reality shows that there is a relative interrelation between rural development
and existing transportation opportunities thereof
According to Olusola, (2018) empirical studies show that deficiencies in infrastructure could be a critical
development constraint. The Asian Development Bank, (2012) finds that poor infrastructure and lack of
investment in infrastructure have constrained growth. Poor infrastructure, a major factor for increasing the cost
of doing business, has a significant adverse impact on the perceived competitiveness and attractiveness of the
Philippines as an investment destination. The models of development which focus on agriculture also bring about
the role that infrastructure play in agricultural development in particular (Olusola, 2018). Rural infrastructure
leads to agricultural expansion by increasing yields, farmers’ access to markets and the availability of
institutional finance. The kind of infrastructure put in place also determines whether growth does all that it can
to reduce poverty. Most of the poor are in rural areas, and the growth of farm productivity and non-farm rural
employment is linked closely to infrastructure provision (World Bank, 1997). It is estimated that 15 per cent of
the crop produce is lost between the farm gate and the consumer because of poor roads and inappropriate storage
facilities alone, adversely influencing the income of farmers (World Bank, 1997).
Socio-economic Activities and Road Transportation in Rural Areas
Though the concept of rural transformation has been variously defined by scholars and policy makers to mean
quite a number of things. A host of multi-sectoral activities, including the improvement, of agriculture, the
promotion of rural justice, the creation of requisite infrastructure and social overheads, as well as the
establishment of appropriate decentralized structures in order to allow mass participation, (Ogunleye, Ajibola,
Enilolobo, and Shogunle, 2018). Rural transformation is perceived as a design to improve the economic and
social conditions of rural inhabitants, which must involve strategies for extending the benefits of the development
of the rural majority (Ukoha, 2016). According to him, the objectives of rural transformation efforts include the
elimination of poverty, creation of rural employment opportunities, elimination of major inequalities, and
ensuring adequate participation of the rural populace in the transformation process. A number of strategies have
been adopted for this process and these include agricultural development, infrastructural development,
industrialization, and integrated rural development and community development in Nigeria (Emenike, 2016).
Rural Development in Nigeria
Rural development is a comprehensive concept that encompasses the development of agriculture, village and
cottage industries and crafts, socio-economic infrastructure, community services and facilities and, human
resources in rural areas (Ale, 2013). Rural development is the final result of interactions between various
physical, technological, economic, social, cultural and institutional factors to improve the well-being of the rural
people. Rural areas are engines of industrial and economic development in most cities, as result of its dependant
on agricultural produces
Nigeria is estimated to be the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of size of both the economy and the
population. Nigeria’s population at the end of 2020 was estimated to range from 200.96 million1 to 206 million.
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Nigeria has a young Population with people aged 0 – 14 years making up 43.2% of the population, and with 63%
24 years old or younger (UN-NIGERIA, 2022). Core of this population are residents in our rural areas.
The development of the rural areas of the country has always been stressed by federal, state and local
governments in the country because of the realization that the previous urban-biased developments from above
strategies adopted in Nigeria so far have proved counterproductive. According to United Nation Department of
Economic and Social Affairs - UNDESA, (2018), Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has 40% urban and 60% rural
population and it has the fastest growing rate of urbanization globally according to the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs. It is projected that 56% of SSA will be urbanized by 2050. In light
of the need to develop rural areas through road transport, this study, reviewed this literature to covers the rural
transport, rural development in Nigeria, problems of rural development in Nigeria, strategies of rural
development, and road transport and economic development in developed countries with United Kingdom and
United State of America as examples.
RESULTS
Types of Rural Employments
Based on the data provided in Table 1, rural employment in the study area is largely agrarian with a small but
diverse informal and service sector driven. Thus farming accounts for 55.7% of employment, making it the single
largest occupation. This shows that the study area is primarily rural and dependent on agriculture as the main
source of livelihood. Civil service represents 9.1% of employment and the second largest category, indicating
that government jobs provide a modest but stable source of formal employment in the area. The remaining 35.2%
is spread across various informal and small-scale occupations like Transport-related (Driving 6.6% and Auto
mechanics 5.7%) which reflect the importance of movement of people and goods, Commerce (Commercial
activities 3.6% and Trading 2.6%), Artisanal/technical skills (Welding and fabrication 2.3%, Saw milling 2.1%,
Carpentry 1.5% and Industrial activities 3.1%) and Personal services (Hairdressing 2.5%, Tailoring 1.7%,
Barbing 1.6%, Computer services 1.5%, and Phone repairs 0.4%) indicate the growth of service jobs catering
to daily needs, though at low percentages.
Table 1: Types of Rural Employments
S/N
Employment Activities
Respondents
Percentage (%)
1
Farming
270
55.7%
2
Civil Service
44
9.1%
3
Industrial Activities
15
3.1%
4
Auto Mechanics
28
5.7%
5
Driving
32
6.6%
6
Commercial activities
18
3.6%
7
Hair Dressing
12
2.5%
8
Sawmilling
10
2.1%
9
Welding
11
2.3%
10
Trading
13
2.6%
11
Tailoring
8
1.7%
12
Carpentry
7
1.5%
13
Barbing
8
1.6%
14
Computer services
7
1.5%
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15
Phone Repair
2
0.4%
Total
485
100.0%
Source: Field Survey, 2026
Types of Agricultural Practice
The major types of agricultural practice in the area are shifting cultivation, crop rotation and continues cropping
as shown in Table 2. The agricultural practice involves the preparation of soil, sowing, adding manure and
fertilizers, irrigation, removal of weeds, harvesting and storage of produce. When examined spatially, shifting
cultivation is the most prominent type of agricultural practice, which represents 91.1%, followed by continuous
cropping and crop rotation which represents 5.3% and 3.3% respectively. This is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Types of Agricultural Practice
s/n
Respondents
Percentage (%)
1
442
91.1%
2
16
3.3%
3
27
5.6%
4
485
100%
Source: Field Survey, 2026
Types of crops produced
The major types of food crops produced in the study area are Cassava, Vegetables, Maize, Beans Groundnut and
Yam while the major cash crops are Cashew, Ducanut and Oil palm as shown in Table 4.38. The average produce
in tons between 2023 to 2025 per farmer in the study area shows that Cassava, which represents 33. 3% is the
predominant crop cultivated in the study area. This is followed by Oil palm, vegetables, cashew and maize which
represents 8.3% respectively. While Groundnut represent 10.4%, beans represent 6.3% and yam represent 4.2%
this is shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Types of crops produced
s/n
Types of crops
Average Produce Between 2023/2025 per
farmer (Tons)
Percentage (%)
1
Cassava
11tons
33.3%
2
Vegetables
2 tons
8.3%
3
Maize
2 tons
8.3%
4
Beans
3 tons
6.3%
5
Groundnut
3 tons
10.4%
6
Rice
4 tons
8.3%
7
Yam
1tons
4.2%
8
Cashew nut
4 tons
8.3%
9
Ducanut
2 tons
4.2%
10
Oil Palm
16 liters
8.4%
Total
100%
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Source: Field Survey, 2026
Types and Condition of Roads used to Farms
The types of roads used to farms are mainly footpaths, earth roads and Tarred roads as shown in Table 4. The
footpaths are not motorable by vehicles, hence the evacuation of farm produce from the farms becomes difficult.
Farm produces are carried from the farms on foot by human efforts and motorcycles. The earth roads are
characterized with eroded and failed portions, and no linkage to majority of the farms. The tarred roads are not
maintained, they are full of port holes with eroded portions, and they do not link the majority of the farms which
leads to the perishing of large quantities of cassava and maize, as shown in Table 4
Table 4: Types and Condition of Roads used to Farms
Types of Roads
condition
Location/Name of Road
Footpaths
Not Motorable by Vehicle, Only Accessible by
foot and Motorcycles
Iyuku – Imeke
Iyamho – Uluoke
Iyora – Ikabigbo
Earth Road
Eroded and Failed Portions
Iyuku – Okhu II
Jagbe - Ewora
Nichoho Barake - Imeke
No Road Linkage
Ewora – Idegun
Afashio – iyerekhu
Ayoghena - Ikholo
Tarred Roads
Port Holes with Eroded portions
Igbira Camp – Aibotse
Ayogwiri – Irekpa
Elele – Afowa
Source: field survey 2026
Effects of the Condition of Roads on Farming
The effects of the condition of roads on farming is discussed by examining the access to farms, time spent in
accessing farms, farm size, cost of transportation, and loss of harvest
Poor Accessibility to Farms: The majority of roads to farm are not motorable by vehicles and only accessible
by foot and motorcycle. This condition makes accessibility to farm very poor, and 49.1% of the farm roads are
in this condition. Hence assessing farms, and evacuating maize and cassava produce is very difficult. The
harvested products perish on the farm due to inability to transport the farm products to the market, as shown in
Table 5
Table 5: Poor Accessibility to Farms
Types of Roads
condition
Accessibility
Percentage (%)
Footpaths
Not Motorable by Vehicle, Only
Accessible by foot and
Motorcycles
238
49.1%
Earth Road
Eroded and Failed Portions
112
23.1%
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No Road Linkage
88
18.1%
Tarred Roads
Port Holes with Eroded portions
47
9.7%
Total
485
100%
Source: field survey 2026
Time Spent in Accessing Farms: The time spent to go to the farm and from the farm to the communities is
shown in Table 6. The farm sites are far from the neighborhoods; hence they spend more time on roads, especially
with the poor condition of the roads. The longer time on road reduces the needed time to be spent in the farms.
This condition reduces crop production since there is always little time left to work in the farm after spending
much of it on the road.
Table 6: Time on Farm Road
Settlements
Average Time Spent on Roads
Total
To Farm
From Farm
Iyora
1h30min
1hrs 30mins
3hrs
Aibotse
1hr 30mins
1hr 30mins
3hrs
Iyerekhu
1hr 30mins
1hr 30mins
3hrs
Agbede
1hr
1hr
2hrs
Idegun
1hr
1hr
2hrs
Jagbe
1hr
1hr
2hrs
Source: field survey 2026
Inability to Cultivate Large portion of Farm: The average farm size for crop production in the study area are
between 1 hectare to 9 hectares as shown in Table 7. The farmers engage in small farm sizes in order to reduce
their produce getting perished when farms are large. There are no roads to evacuate produce to the final
consumers, due to poor roads and No-road connection between their farms, market and other settlements.
Table 7: Reduction in Farm Size by Farmers
Location
to Farm
Year
Farm Size (Hectares)
Cassava
Maize
Yam
Beans
Rice
G.nut
Vegetable
Oil
Cashew
Iyora
2023
5
2
6
4
6
3
8
7
6
2025
3
1
3
2
3
1
4
3
4
Aibotse
2023
5
2
4
5
4
5
6
6
6
2025
3
1
2
3
3
4
3
3
5
Iyerekhu
2023
5
2
5
4
5
4
5
6
7
2025
3
1
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
Agbede
2023
7
4
7
6
5
7
6
5
6
2025
4
2
3
3
2
3
2
2
3
Idegun
2023
7
4
8
7
5
8
5
6
7
2025
4
2
4
3
2
4
3
2
2
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Jagbe
2023
7
4
9
7
6
8
8
6
7
2025
4
2
4
4
2
5
3
2
4
Source: field survey 2026
Cost of Accessibility to Farms: The average cost of transport to and from farm in the study area between 2023
to 2025 is shown in Table 8. The cost includes both to and from farm per day. The percentage increase in the
cost of assessing farms is between 80.0% to 85.0% in 2023 and 2025. The high cost of transport to farm reduces
the profits from the farms.
Table 8: Cost of Accessibility to Farm in 2023 and 2025
Location to Farm
Cost in 2023 (N)
Cost in 2025 (N)
Increase (N)
Percentage Increase (%)
Iyora
800
4000
3,200
80.0%
Aibotse
1000
5000
4,000
80.0%
Iyerekhu
1000
5000
4,000
80.0%
Agbede
600
4000
3,400
85.0%
Idegun
600
4000
3,400
85.0%
Jagbe
600
4000
3,400
85.0%
Source: field survey 2026
Loss of Harvest Due to Poor Accessibility: There is loss of harvest in the study area as a result of the nature of
roads on crop production. In the 2022/2023 farming season there was 23.4% loss of harvest in all the crops
investigated as shown in Table 9, while in 2024/2025 farming season, there was 39.8% loss of harvest. Of these
crops in question, maize had the highest loss in 2023 and 2025 alongside groundnut, while vegetable had the
highest loss in 2023 and beans had the highest loss in 2025. The high rate of loss of harvest is as a result of the
non-accessibility to the farms because of the poor conditions of the roads while the produce perished in the
farms. In respect of farm site that are not accessible by road, the evacuation of farm produce to markets and
settlements becomes impossible, the agricultural extension workers do not have access to educate the farmers
on modern methods of farming. The farm produce are not harvested, hence they get perished at the farm site as
shown in Table 9
Table 9: Average Output and Loss of Crops Between 2023 to 2025 per Farmer
Crop
Production/Output (bags)
2022/2023
2024/2025
Output
Loss
Percentage (%)
Output
Loss
Percentage (%)
Cassava
70
19
27.1%
37
17
45%
Maize
8
5
62.5%
5
3
60.0%
Yam
81
14
17.3%
59
24
40.7
Beans
12
4
33.3%
7
3
30%
Rice
35
7
20.0%
21
6
28.6%
G.nut
14
3
21.4%
5
3
60.0%
Vegetable
39
7
7.7%
23
9
39.1%
Oil
61
12
19.7%
43
15
34.9%
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Cashew
17
4
23.5%
11
4
36.4%
Total
320
75
23.4%
211
84
39.8%
Source: field survey 2026
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Based on available data rural employment in the study area is largely agrarian with a small but diverse informal
and service sector driven. Thus, farming accounts for 55.7% of employment, making it the single largest
occupation, (see Table 1). The major types of agricultural practice in the area are shifting cultivation, crop
rotation and continues cropping. However, shifting cultivation is the most prominent type of agricultural practice,
which represents 91.1%, (see Table 2). The major types of food crops produced in the study area are Cassava,
Vegetables, Maize, Beans Groundnut and Yam while the major cash crops are Cashew, Ducanut and Oil palm.
However, Cassava, which represents 33. 3% is the predominant crop cultivated in the study area, (See Table 3).
The types of roads used to farms are mainly footpaths, earth roads and Tarred roads and majority of the farms
are only connected with footpaths, hence the evacuation of farm produce from the farms becomes difficult. The
earth roads are mostly eroded, failed and no linkage to majority of the farms, (see Table 4). This condition makes
accessibility to farm very poor, and 49.1% of the farm roads are in this condition, (see Table 5). This increases
the expected time spent to go to the farm and from the farm to the communities. Thus, the longer time on road
reduces the needed time to be spent in the farms, (see Table 6). Due to the lack of accessible roads to these farms,
the farmers engage in small farm sizes in order to reduce their produce getting perished when farms are large,
(see Table 7). As a result of the poor accessibility to these farms, the average cost of transport to and from farm
in the study area increased by 80.0% to 85.0% in 2023 and 2025. This high cost of transport to farm reduces the
profits from the farms, (see Table 8). This high cost of Transportation leads to the abandonment of farm produce
in the farm. In the 2022/2023 farming season there was 23.4% loss of harvest in all the crops and, there was
39.8% loss of harvest in 2024/2025 farming season. The farm produce are not harvested due to the plethora of
factors discussed, hence they get perished at the farm site, (see Table 9).
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings from this study it is safe to conclude that,
1 Rural employment in the study area is largely agrarian (farming), although with a small but diverse
informal and service sector driven. Shifting cultivation is the most prominent type of agricultural practice
even though there are others like crop rotation and continues cropping.
2 The major types of food crops produced in the study area are Cassava, Vegetables, Maize, Beans
Groundnut and Yam while the major cash crops are Cashew, Ducanut and Oil palm, but Cassava is the
predominant crop cultivated in the study area.
3 The types of roads used to farms are mainly footpaths, earth roads and Tarred roads and majority of the
farms are only connected with footpaths. The earth roads are mostly eroded, failed and no linkage to
majority of the farms.
4 Accessibility to farm is very poor, and 49.1% of the farm roads are in this condition. The poor
accessibility increases the expected time spent to go to the farm and from the farm to the communities.
5 Due to the lack of accessible roads to these farms, the farmers engage in small farm sizes in order to
reduce their produce getting perished when farms are large. As a result of the poor accessibility to these
farms, the average cost of transport to and from farm in the study area increased by 80.0% to 85.0% in
2023 and 2025.
6 The high cost of transport to farm reduces the profits from the farms and leads to the abandonment of
farm produce in the farm. Hence there is constant loss of harvest in all the crops.
In conclusion, improving road development and accessibility in Etsako West LGA will directly reduce cost of
transportation, minimize post-harvest losses, expand farm sizes, and ultimately strengthen rural employment in
agriculture. This will enhance food security, increase farmers’ income, increase rural Development and reduce
rural-urban migration in the study area.
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Recommendation
Based on the conclusion above this study, therefore recommends the following:
1 Construction and Rehabilitation of Farm Access Roads: Government at both state and local
government levels should prioritize the construction, rehabilitation, and grading of earth roads and farm
access roads linking communities to farmlands. Special attention should be given to the 49.1% of farm
roads currently in poor condition to reduce travel time, vehicle wear, and post-harvest losses.
2 Adoption of Rural Road Network Planning: There is need for proper articulation and redesign of rural
transport routes to ensure that majority of farms are no longer dependent only on footpaths. feeder roads
should be mapped to connect clusters of farms directly to major tarred roads and market centers in Auchi,
Jattu, and other hubs.
3 Provision of Maintenance Framework for Rural Roads: Etsako West LGA, in collaboration with
community development associations and farmers’ cooperatives, should establish a maintenance system
for rural roads. This will prevent rapid erosion and failure of earth roads, especially during rainy seasons
when accessibility is worst.
4 Subsidy and Transport Support for Farmers: To cushion the 80% - 85% increase in transport cost
recorded between 2023 and 2025, government and NGOs should provide transport subsidies, farm
produce evacuation vehicles, or cooperative haulage schemes. This will reduce cost burden, increase
profit margins, and discourage abandonment of harvest.
5 Promotion of Larger and Commercial Farm Sizes: With improved road access, extension services
should encourage farmers to move from small subsistence plots to larger farm sizes. Better road linkage
will reduce risk of perishability and enable farmers to cultivate cash crops like cashew, oil palm, and
groundnut at commercial scale.
6 Integration of Agricultural and Road Development Policies: Road development projects in Etsako
West should be deliberately linked to agricultural zones. Future road planning must consider areas with
high concentration of cassava, yam, and oil palm production so that infrastructure investment directly
supports rural employment in farming.
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