Economic and Nutritional Impacts of Aquaculture Development on Rural Households in Kebbi State

This study assessed the combined economic and nutritional impacts of participation in organised aquaculture development programmes on rural households in Kebbi State, North West Nigeria. Government and donor-funded aquaculture programmes have targeted Kebbi State as an area with high fisheries development potential, yet rigorous evaluation of their household-level impacts using comparative designs remains limited. A quasi-experimental study design was employed, comparing 120 participating households with 120 matched non-participant control households in four local government areas. Outcome variables included household income, fish consumption frequency, dietary diversity score, stunting prevalence in children under five, and asset ownership. Differences-in-differences estimation was used to control for selection bias in programme participation. Results showed that programme participants recorded a statistically significant average income increase of 142,000 naira per year attributable to aquaculture participation, after controlling for household characteristics. Fish consumption frequency was 2.3 days per week higher in participant households. Dietary diversity scores were significantly higher in participant households, with improvements particularly in protein and fat consumption categories. Child stunting prevalence was 8.4 percentage points lower in participant communities, though the study cautions against strong causal inference at this level due to confounding factors. Asset ownership, particularly productive assets such as motorcycles and water pumps, was significantly higher in participant households. The study provides evidence supporting the dual economic and nutritional value of targeted aquaculture development programmes in rural Nigeria and recommends scaling successful programme components through federal and state budget support. Keywords: aquaculture development, rural households, nutritional impact, economic impact, Kebbi State