<p>                   <b>TABLE OF CONTENTS</b></p><p> <b></b>Title Page………………………………………………………………………………....i&nbsp;</p><p>Declaration……………………………………………………………………………....ii&nbsp;</p><p>Certification………………………………………………………………………...…...iii&nbsp;</p><p>Dedication……………………………………………………………………………….iv&nbsp;</p><p>Acknowledgements..…………………………………………………………………….v&nbsp;</p><p>Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………….....vi&nbsp;</p><p>List of Tables………………………………………………………………………….....x&nbsp;</p><p>List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………...xi&nbsp;</p><p>Appendix…………...…………………………………………………………………..xii</p><p>&nbsp;Abstract………………………………………………………………………………..xiii&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter ONE

………………………………………………………………………..1&nbsp;</p><p>INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….1&nbsp;</p><p>1.1 Background to the study……………………………………………………………..1&nbsp;</p><p>1.2 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………...3&nbsp;</p><p>1.3 Objectives of the Study………………………………………………………………6&nbsp;</p><p>1.4 Justification of the Study…………………………………………………………….6&nbsp;</p><p>1.5 Test of Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………...8 <br></p><p>

Chapter TWO

……………………………………………………………………….9&nbsp;</p><p>LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………..9&nbsp;</p><p>2.1 World Aquaculture and Capture Production………………………………………...9&nbsp;</p><p>2.2 Fish Farming and Food Security…………………………………………………...12&nbsp;</p><p>2.2.1 Nutritional benefits of fish………………………………………………………..14&nbsp;</p><p>2.3 Role of Fish farming in Achieving Millennium Development Goals……………...16&nbsp;</p><p>2.4 Fish Culture Systems……………………………………………………………….20&nbsp;</p><p>2.4.1 Economic consideration in fish culture systems……………………………….....21&nbsp;</p><p>2.4.2 Design consideration in fish culture system……………………………………...22&nbsp;</p><p>2.4.3 Fish culture management…………………………………………………………25&nbsp;</p><p>2.5 Species of Fish and Selection………………………………………………………26&nbsp;</p><p>2.6 Overview of Fish Production in Nigeria……………………………………………27 <br></p><p> 2.7 Problems militating against Fish Farming in Nigeria………………………………29&nbsp;</p><p>2.8 Poverty Profile of Nigeria………………………………………………………......30&nbsp;</p><p>2.8.1 Poverty reduction strategies in Nigeria…………………………………………..31&nbsp;</p><p>2.9 Theoretical Framework……………………………………………………………..32&nbsp;</p><p>2.9.1 Tobit regression model…………………………………………………………...32&nbsp;</p><p>2.9.2 Profitability measurement………………………………………………………...33&nbsp;</p><p>2.9.2.1 Net farm income analysis………………………………………………………33&nbsp;</p><p>2.9.3 Poverty measurement…………………………………………………………….33&nbsp;</p><p>2.9.3.1 Estimating poverty line through expenditure approach…………………………33&nbsp;</p><p>2.9.3.2 Weighted poverty index………………………………………………………...34&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter THREE

…………………………………………………………………...36&nbsp;</p><p>METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………………..36&nbsp;</p><p>3.1 Description of the Study Area……………………………………………………...36&nbsp;</p><p>3.2 Sample Size and Sampling Technique…………………………………………......38&nbsp;</p><p>3.3 Method of Data Collection…………………………………………………………38 <br></p><p> 3.4 Analytical Techniques……………………………………………………………...38&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.1 Descriptive statistics……………………………………………………………...39&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.2 Tobit regression model…………………………………………………………...39&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.2.1 Operational measurement of variables…………………………………………40&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.3 Net farm income analysis………………………………………………...............42&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.4 Estimating poverty line through expenditure approach………………………......43&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.5 Weighted poverty index………………………………………………………......43&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.6 Z test……………………………………………………………………………...44&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter FOUR

…………………………………………………………………….45&nbsp;</p><p>RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………………………………………......45&nbsp;</p><p>4.1 Socio-economic Characteristics of Fish Farmers…………………………………..45 <br></p><p> 4.1.1 Age of fish farmers…………………………………………………………….....45&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.2 Level of education of fish farmers……………………………………………......46&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.3 Gender of fish farmers……………………………………………………………46&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.4 Family size of fish farmers……………………………………………..…….......47&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.5 Years of experience of fish farmers……………………………………................48&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.6 Sources of start-up capital of fish farmers……………………………………......48&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.7 Nature of involvement in fish farming………………………………...................49</p><p>&nbsp;4.2 Species of Fish and Culture Systems……………………………………………….50 4</p><p>.2.1 Sources of fingerling and juveniles…………………………................................50&nbsp;</p><p>4.2.2 Rearing facilities of fish farmers…………………………………………………51&nbsp;</p><p>4.2.3 Sources of water……………………………………………………………….....52&nbsp;</p><p>4.3 Factors Influencing the Intensity of Fish Farming…………………………….…...53&nbsp;</p><p>4.4 Profitability Analysis……………………………………………………………….56</p><p>&nbsp;4.5 Poverty line among Fish Farmers……………………………...…………………...59&nbsp;</p><p>4.5.1 Poverty status of fish farmers……………………………………………….........59 <br></p><p> 4.6 Contribution of Fish farming to Poverty Alleviation………………………………60&nbsp;</p><p>4.7 Problems facing Fish Farmers…………………………………………...................61&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter FIVE

……………………………………………………………………...64&nbsp;</p><p>SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………….........64&nbsp;</p><p>5.1 Summary……………………………………………………………………………64&nbsp;</p><p>5.2 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….........65&nbsp;</p><p>5.3 Contribution to knowledge.……………...………………………………………....65&nbsp;</p><p>5.4 Recommendations…………………………………………………….....................66&nbsp;</p><p>References……………………………………………………………….………..........69&nbsp;</p><p>Appendix……………………………………………………………………………….75 <br></p>