Rent-seeking and Fertiliser Distribution Politics in Benue state, Nigeria

Abstract

The declarations in documents on fertiliser policy rightly prioritize access to adequate fertilisers by all categories of farmers in Nigeria. However, the experience of farmers acknowledged by scholars and government is that fertilisers are scarce and expensive for smallholders or peasants. Consequently, this paper examines the role of politics and rent-seeking behaviour of public officials in the inaccessibility of fertiliser to smallholders. To ascertain fertiliser consumption by farmers, a survey questionnaire was administered on 400 respondents with a return rate of 377. Responses were analysed and results presented in a descriptive format. A key finding of the study is that public officials deploy fertiliser policy less for the benefit of smallholders and more for political and pecuniary ends.