GENERAL AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DWELLERS PERCEPTION TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN IBARAPA EAST IN OYO STATE

This study investigates the perceptions of rural dwellers on the role of general agriculture in fostering rural development in Ibarapa east of Oyo State, Nigeria. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of rural livelihoods in the region, offering employment, income generation, food security, and raw materials for local industries. Despite its recognized importance, the sector faces numerous challenges including poor infrastructure, limited access to credit, inadequate extension services, and youth migration, which undermine its potential contribution to sustainable rural development. Using primary data collected through structured questionnaires administered to 120 rural dwellers across 6 communities in Ibarapa east of Oyo State, the study assessed socio-economic characteristics, available agricultural practices, perceived benefits and challenges, and overall attitudes toward agriculture. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Spearman’s correlation tests were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that most respondents were middle-aged females involved in small-scale farming, with a high reliance on family labor, the available general agricultural activities crop farming was the most commonly practiced agricultural activity, benefits of general agricultural to rural development such as technological advancement and economic growth While agriculture was generally seen as a tool for community development and livelihood support, many respondents perceived it as less profitable than urban occupations they also faced a lot of challenges like bad road, unsustainable practices. Hypothesis testing showed that socio-economic factors significantly influence perceptions of agriculture, though the perceived benefits of agriculture were not significantly related to perceptions of rural development. The study concludes that while rural dwellers acknowledge agriculture’s importance, its development is hindered by systemic challenges. It recommends improvements in rural infrastructure, better access to finance, youth engagement programs, modern farming techniques, and increased government support to unlock agriculture’s full potential for rural development.