Adult Education Participation and Poverty Reduction Among Rural Farmers in Anambra State

This study examines the relationship between adult education programme participation and poverty reduction outcomes among rural farming households in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Rural farmers represent one of Nigeria's most educationally underserved populations, and their limited literacy, numeracy, and agricultural knowledge restricts productivity and income. Adult education programmes targeting farmers have been implemented through the Anambra State Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education, but their poverty reduction contribution has received limited empirical attention. This study adopts a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 240 rural farming households in Awka South, Anaocha, and Oyi local government areas, comparing programme participants with non-participants. Poverty is measured using per capita consumption expenditure, household asset ownership, and food security indicators. Logistic regression and independent-samples t-tests are applied. Findings show that adult education participants demonstrate significantly higher agricultural productivity scores, market participation rates, and household food security indicators compared to non-participants. Farmers who completed functional literacy training with agricultural extension integration showed the largest poverty reduction gains. Programme dropout rates attributed to seasonal farming demands were identified as a barrier to sustained learning. The study concludes that adult education has a meaningful contribution to poverty reduction among rural farmers in Anambra State when programming is contextually responsive. It recommends that agricultural extension services formally embed adult literacy training into farmer support programmes and align learning calendars with farming season cycles.

Keywords: adult education, poverty reduction, rural farmers, Anambra State, functional literacy.