EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN OGONI COMMUNITY, RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Rural poverty reduction could be enhanced through investment in road infrastructure. The aim of this study, therefore, is to examine rural household earning return to road infrastructure using Ogoni community in Rivers State, Nigeria, as a case study. Using a structured questionnaire and an interview guide to collect data from 400 households, the findings show that Ogoni community had suffered from inadequate access road. Majority (about 56. 6%) of the households indicated that access road in the community is low. However, the study confirms that household earning return to improvement in road infrastructure in Ogoni community is positive and significant (p<0.01). The result shows a marginal effect of 0.303 unit increase in the log-odds of being in a higher category of household income given an increase in the categories of good access road. Therefore, to reduce poverty in the community, there is need for more government, cooperate organizations and people-centered efforts towards the provision of more access road in the community.