Ofem N.I., Ndifon H.M., Angba A.O., Effiong J.B., Akinmosin O.C.
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Ofem, N.I., Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria; Ndifon, H.M., Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria; Angba, A.O., Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria; Effiong, J.B., Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria; Akinmosin, O.C., Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
The study determined the impact of conflicts on agricultural production in the Niger Delta of Nigeria with specific evidence from Cross River State. The state was purposively selected because of its high rate of communal conflict. A multi-staged sampling procedure was employed and respondents were randomly sampled from two different communities where conflicts have occurred over time. A total of 60 respondents were used for the study. Data were collected from respondents using personal interviews, with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics (ordered probit regression) were used to analyze data. Results from the descriptive analysis revealed that a greater percentage of the respondents (63.33%) were farmers, 41.67% were youths between the ages of 21 and 40 years, majority (56.67%) had low educational attainments and there was a high level of unemployment (90%) in the area, while 25 percent of the respondents earned as low as N30,000 or less per-annum. The results of the hypotheses tested revealed that there is a significant relationship between conflicts and respondents' socio-economic characteristics such as age, occupation, marital status, family size, education and employment status while gender, income and infrastructure were not significant. The result also showed a significant but negative relationship between agricultural GDP and conflict. Therefore, the study noted that strategies and programmes aimed at addressing the socio-economic needs of the people and investments in agriculture were required to stem the spate of conflicts in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria.