Effect of Presidential Cassava Transformation Initiative on the Efficiency of Micro-scale Cassava Processing Enterprises in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

This study appraised the effect of 2003 Presidential Cassava Transformation Initiative (PCTI) on the efficiency of Micro-Scale Cassava Processing Enterprises in Southwest Nigeria. The study was carried out between April and December 2016. The study evaluated the efficiency of the MSCPEs before and after the initiative, with the help of survey design, and multi-stage sampling technique. These techniques include: purposive sampling, and proportionate stratified sampling techniques. Data were obtained from 251 respondents (86% of 292 retrieved questionnaires) in the six Southwest States, through structured questionnaire. The respondents were made up of the MSCPEs that participated in the initiative. Descriptive statistic (percentage, mean score) and inferential statistic (Data Envelopment Analysis) were used to analyze the data collected. The study revealed that, 25.9% of the respondents were male and 74.1% were female, 71.7% were within age 40 to 59 years, and 31.9% of the respondents were holders of Primary School Certificate, while and 35% were not educated. Also, the PCTI assisted in raising the average scale efficiency of the MSCPEs in all the Southwest states, 69.4% before the initiative, to 88.5% after the initiative. The study therefore recommended that, policy makers should make policies that will further help to raise the efficiency of the MSCPEs to optimum production frontier.