This study examined the factors that influence the willingness of Fadama farmers to participate in Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in Ilorin-East LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria. A questionnaire was used to carry out a survey of a randomly selected GEF beneficiaries and non-GEF beneficiaries to examine the factors that influence the willingness of Fadama farmers to participate in GEF. Data were analysed using frequency, percentage and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The study revealed that most of the respondents were young, male, married, and had only primary education. Majority were Christians with driving as their secondary occupation. Household size of 6-10 were predominant and farming experience of 11-20years were most common. The analysis also showed that there were positive significant relationships between marital status (r=0.122), education (r=0. 321), household size (r=0.220), years of experience (r=0.206) and negative significant relationship between the ages (r=-0.046) and the factors that influence the willingness of Fadama farmers to participate in GEF. The study showed that the Fadama farmers participating in GEF were more aware of the factors influencing willingness to participate and had more income in the last agricultural season than those that are not participating. It is therefore recommended that improved environmental awareness should be encouraged among the farmers, individual information provision and technical administrative advice should be made available, minimal environmental practices should be aimed at stimulating participation and some of the factors that influence participation should be widely spread among all farmers.
Key words: Global, degradation, beneficiaries, participation, productivity, development.
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