LAUSR

ABSTRACT Many indigenous vegetables are generally underutilized across different cultures, but they remain alternatives to exotic vegetables that often are expensive. This study investigated effects of participation in indigenous vegetable production on livelihood of farmers. Multistaged sampling was used to collect data from 222 vegetable farmers sampled from using a semi-structured questionnaire. Principal component analysis and endogenous switching regression (ESR) were employed for analysis. The ESR accounted for heterogeneity in the decision to participate or not, and for unobservable characteristics of farmers and their farms. Principal component analysis indicated 44.44% of respondents are low-level participants in production of indigenous vegetables (<4). Participation in the Nigeria–Canada vegetable project (NiCanVeg) increased household income; however, the impact of participation on income was smaller for households that participated, than those that did not. The impact of the NiCanVeg project on livelihood of participants was negative. For a project to have positive significant effects on livelihood, household characteristics of participants should be considered in its implementation.