The study reviewed baseline conditions of the third National Fadama Development Project in
Kogi State from beneficiaries’ perspective. The synthesis was based on interview with 100
randomly selected members of fadama users, focus group discussion and official document of
the project. Majority (71.0%) of the respondents were males, married (88.0%) with household
size of seven persons and mean age of 45 years. The study revealed several shortfalls and gaps in
the planning, execution and management of the project. The approach of the project though
supposedly community driven seems not to have accommodated the priority needs of
beneficiaries because the farmers were probably not actively represented in the planning of the
project. Fadama beneficiaries did not benefit from the Agricultural Development Program (ADP)
Support and Adaptive Research component and the advisory service was not demand responsive
as designed to be. Moreover, the strength of the project in terms of resources was more on
maintenance/logistics than the actual implementation process at the farmers’ level. The study
recommends that development planners should evolve appropriate and stringent measures to
ensure effective monitoring; and increased involvement of the beneficiaries and other
stakeholders in the planning and implementation of development project. The design of project
should be flexible to accommodate various geographical peculiarities. Development intervention
should be gender sensitive with specific projects and funds for women and the vulnerable.