INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES AND LITERACY RATE OF CASH CROPS PRODUCERS IN SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study focused on infrastructural facilities and literacy rate of cash crops producers in the south-south geo-political zone of Nigeria. The survey research method was adopted for the study on a population comprised of sixty (60) cash crops producing firms in Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom States in the South-South of Nigeria. The judgmental sampling technique was adopted and four (4) respondents per firm were selected making a sample size of 240 respondents. A 5-point likert-scale questionnaire was administered to respondents, of which 200 copies of the questionnaire were returned, obtaining a 90.1 percent response rate. The study adopted descriptive statistics; multiple regressions, analysis of variance and stepwise regression course of action. The results put forward that infrastructural facilities have a strong influence on literacy rate. As such, the study recognizes infrastructural facilities as a catalyst that predicts literacy rate competence in improving a country’s wellbeing; therefore, concludes that, infrastructural facilities affect sustainable development of cash crops producers in South-South, Nigeria to an enormous degree, and that not giving concerted attention to these initiatives can lead to economic stagnation or regression, thus hampering literacy rate. The study recommends amongst others that government should provide adequate infrastructural facilities to enable cash crops producers enhance their productivity and sales in order to impact positively on their wellbeing.