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https://doi.org/10.56556/gssr.v1i2.367 

                                                                  

 
 

Global Scientific Research           30 
 

Assessment of Rural Transportation in Abi Local Government Area, Cross River State, 
Nigeria 
 

Sunday I. Bassey1, Salvation U. Eteng*2, Eric Friday Ewah1 
 
1Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria  
2University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria 
 
Corresponding Author: Salvation U. Eteng; salvationeteng@gmail.com 
Received: 20 November, 2022, Accepted: 01 December, 2022, Published: 01 December, 2022 

 

 

 

Abstract 

Generally, the survival of regions and locations is predicated among others, on the corridors of accessibility. In 

contemporary times, transportation is regarded as the lifewire of development and a lot is dependent on it. In spite of its 

importance, there is neglect in the development and maintenance of rural transportation system especially in countries of 

the developing world such as Nigeria. Based on this assertion, this paper seeks to assess the level of service of rural 

transportation in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State. The study specifically sought to identify the various 

modes and means of transportation in the study area, examine the contributions of rural transportation to the socio-

economic development of the area, identify the problems militating against effective rural transportation services and make 

recommendations for improvement. The study relied on questionnaire, interviews and observations for data collection. A 

total of 400 copies of questionnaire were distributed and 377 copies were retrieved and used for analysis. The study used 

tables, charts and simple percentages for data presentation and analysis. The hypothesis that was formulated was tested 

using simple linear regression. The study observed that motorcycle is the most preferred mode of transportation by 

respondents in the study area. The result of the hypothesis showed that the level of service of rural transportation does not 

have significant effect on the socio-economic development of the area. This imply that socio-economic development in 

the study area is not completely tied to the level of service of rural transportation. Furthermore, the problems militating 

against effective rural transportation services include poor funding and difficult terrain. The study suggested that funding 

for road rehabilitation be increased by the government and other sources of funding such as Public Private Partnerships be 

advocated in the road development/rehabilitation process.  

 

Keywords: Transportation; rural transportation; mode of transportation; means of transportation; level of service 

 

 

Introduction 

 

Transportation is the movement of people and goods from 

one place to another. Aderamo and Magaji (2010) asserts 

that transportation plays an important role in the political, 

economic and social development of any society and 

whether in rural or urban societies. Transportation 

constitutes the main avenue through which different parts 

of the society are linked together. It is the only means 

through which places and regions are linked together. 

However, transportation is indispensable to economic 

development especially in a developing country like 

Nigeria. This is because transport is essential in the 

execution of daily economic and social activities in any 

given area (Akangbe, Oloruntoba, Achem and Komolafe, 

2013). 

In Nigeria, rural areas have been considered as the major 

producers of food and fiber for the urban areas. This 

implies that rural areas are characterized by increased 

agricultural activities. Akangbe et al. (2013) explained that 

agriculture is the primary and biggest source of income in 

rural communities and provides employment to 

approximately 70 percent of its population.  Hill (2008) 

opined that a significant proportion of agricultural task 

involves moving equipment and materials from one place 

to another in a wide variety of types and sizes of loads to 

be moved over different distances and types of terrain. This 

therefore makes rural transportation a subject of interest 

(Okoko, 2011). 

Transportation demand both modes and means for proper 

functioning. Therefore, several means of transportation 

exist for both people and goods. These means have evolved 

https://doi.org/10.56556/gssr.v1i2.367
mailto:salvationeteng@gmail.com


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through the length of time of man’s existence on the planet 

(Mamun and Paul, 2017). The means for transporting 

people, goods and services include air, water and land. 

Among the transportation means listed above, the 

commonest is land/road transportation (Tunde and 

Adeniyi, 2012). Road transportation is the movement of 

goods and people from one place to another on land. 

However, it is the predominant means of transportation 

mostly, in rural areas (Usman, 2014).  

Describing transportation modes, Usman (2013) noted that 

for transportation to be effective, the mode through which 

transportation services are provided has to be defined 

clearly. For instance, air transportation require modes such 

as aeroplane, helicopters, jets etc. while canoes, ships, 

boats etc are used in transporting people, goods and 

services through water. Ayodele and Babatunde (2015) 

noted that the modes for land transportation include motor 

vehicles (cars, lorries, buses, etc.) as well as motorcycles, 

tricycles and bicycles (otherwise known as Para-transit). 

Others include the use of animals (camels, donkeys and 

horses), and animal drawn carts. 

While cars, lorries, tricycles and buses may be the 

predominant mode for intra – city transportation in several 

major urban areas of Nigeria (especially the state capitals), 

other urban areas and the rural areas mostly use 

motorcycles for intra-city transportation and even inter-city 

when distances are short (Bassey and Eteng, 2021). 

Usman, (2013) further noted that much of rural travel in 

Africa is however on foot or through intermediate means 

of transport (IMT) operating along the local footpaths and 

tracks. These constitute what Starkey (2005) referred to as 

“invisible” rural transport, consisting of footpaths, cart, 

cycle tracks and footbridges.  

Rural transportation is determined by a number of factors 

including the presence of roads, nature of goods 

transported, income of travelers and so on. However, 

efficient rural transportation can bring about increase in 

production. For instance, Yaro, Okon and Bisong (2014) 

showed that where agricultural products are transported 

with vehicles such as vans, cars, buses, lorries etc, 

agricultural production among farmers is likely to be on the 

increase. Equally, where there are large river bodies; boats, 

canoes and ships may be used for rendering transportation 

services. 

Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State is 

predominantly a rural area with agricultural activities being 

the major employer of labour to the residents due to the 

fertile land. However, there are commercial and agro-

industrial activities all of which require transportation 

services in order to be effective. As a result, various rural 

transportation means and modes abound in the Local 

Government Area (LGA). For instance, residents in 

riverine areas such as Itigidi and Ediba, widely use boats 

and canoes for transportation while motorcycles, cars, 

buses, vans, bicycles, carts etc are used for the conveyance 

of goods and services by others residing and doing 

businesses in areas that can only be accessible by land. 

Where bridges are constructed across rivers, both water 

and road transportation modes are used to facilitate 

mobility. Examples include Ediba and Itigidi. With the 

above observation, it is clear that transportation in rural 

areas of Abi LGA is through different modes and means. 

Therefore, it was necessary to carry out a study of this 

nature to carefully assess rural transportation in Abi Local 

Government Area of Cross River State with particular 

reference to assessing the level of service. 

 

Literature Review 

 

Concept of Rural Transportation 

 

Rural transportation is the movement of goods, services 

and people from one place to another within a geographical 

space called rural. Rural areas in Nigeria simply refer to 

settlements with population of below 20,000 (Laah, 

Adefila and Yusuf, 2014). The above definition may not be 

applicable in other countries like the United States of 

America, France, England and Russia. For instance, a 

population of 10,000 people and above constitute an urban 

area in USA. 

Rural transportation system is the culmination of the 

totality of the different means and modes through which 

movement is carried out in rural areas. Usman (2014) 

remarked that rural transport system consists of transport 

infrastructure, transport operations (services) and the 

transport users within the rural areas. These include the 

commercial services and those provided by private owners. 

Therefore, for any transport system to function effectively, 

there must exist the appropriate infrastructure, transport 

services, maintenance and traffic management (Asian 

Development Bank, 2007). The infrastructure includes the 

road network, tracks, paths and bridges (including 

footbridges only suitable for pedestrian and Intermediate 

Means of Transportation).  

Rural transportation therefore represents conscious 

attempts and strategies towards ensuring that goods, 

services and people can travel to and from rural areas for 

business, leisure, tourism etc (Usman, 2014). In simple 

terms, rural transportation refers to the movement of goods, 

services and people within the rural areas. Ajayi (2009) 

explained that the major transportation in rural areas 

mostly has to do with the conveyance of farm products and 

other commodities from places of production to where 

there are needed. The concept of rural transportation is 

focused on describing the whole procedures, services and 

humans that are moving within the rural areas. Rural 

transportation is a key factor in improving agricultural 

development all over the world (Mamun and Paul, 2014). 

This is because rural areas (mostly in sub-Saharan Africa) 

are the major producers of agricultural produce for the 

urban areas and other places. 



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In several rural areas in Nigeria, the basic modes through 

which goods, services and people are moved from place to 

place include trekking, the use of motorcycles, bicycles, 

canoes, boats and cars.  However, the means of 

transportation are land, water and air. Of all the 

transportation means, the commonest used means is land 

transportation. Among other reasons for preferring land 

transportation; it is flexible and provides door to door 

services. In the rural areas, most communities use both 

water and land transportation to access their farmlands. 

 

The Modes and Means of Transportation in Rural 

Areas  

 

The means and modes through which rural residents 

transport people, goods and services across rural areas of 

the world have been documented. Basically, available 

literatures have identified that in developing nations, 

several rural transportation means and modes combine to 

make rural living meaningful. In New Zealand; Reeder, 

Chalmers and Langley (2006) observed that people in rural 

areas are transported through motorcycles, cars and canoes. 

Others trek and use bicycles in moving within rural areas. 

Reeder et al.,(2006) also noted that car ownership is 

relatively high and as such, over 70 percent of the rural 

residents are car owners. Also, in areas with water bodies, 

modes such as ships, canoes and boats are predominantly 

used. 

In Indonesia, Hartoyo (2013) observed that cars, lorries, 

vans and buses are largely used for the transportation of 

people, goods and people in the rural areas and country 

sides. This is largely because the roads are accessible and 

are in good condition. He specifically noted that the use of 

such transportation modes have vehemently increased 

production among the rural people in Indonesia. Also, in 

riverine areas, goods, services and people are transported 

through canoes and speed boats. He equally noted that 

agricultural products from farms that are nearby are simply 

taken home through foot. 

In Ghana, Dinye (2013) observed that motorcycles 

constitute the predominant transportation mode in rural 

areas. He showed that rural areas are predominantly low 

income earners and as such, they mostly lack the financial 

capabilities of purchasing cars for movement within their 

localities. He revealed that the motorcycles are not only 

used by private owners in villages but also, there are used 

for commercial purposes by the people and therefore 

provide the means of earning livelihoods to transporters. 

Okoko (2011) noted that in Ghana, farmers largely use foot 

while transporting their goods and services. Okoko 

observed that the increasing use of foot and bicycles is as a 

result of the presence of deplorable state of roads. 

In a similar finding, Kassali, Ayanwale, Idowu and 

Williams (2012) observed in Oyo State, Nigeria that 

transportation in rural areas is through trekking, use of 

motorcycles, cars and tricycles. They specifically showed 

that farmers across rural areas that have accessible roads 

leading to their farmlands transport their products from 

farms through motorcycles, cars and tricycles. Kassali et 

al., (2012) showed that trekking was the most widely mode 

used by rural residents in Oyo. For instance, they note that 

farmers and residents in Oyo travelled between 5 and 10km 

from their villages to farmlands on foot.  

Usman (2014) also noted that in rural Kwara - Nigeria, 

there is a combination of various transportation services to 

ensure economic development. For instance, he showed 

that rural residents travel to places of interest in rural areas 

by foot (trekking), bicycles, motorcycles and carts. A small 

percentage of the rural residents use cars within the rural 

areas. Obviously, car owners in rural areas mainly use their 

cars for private purposes, meaning that motorcycles are the 

predominant transportation mode for moving people. 

Loads from farms and other places are transported through 

foot and wheel barrows. He showed that the reasons behind 

the increasing use of other modes against commercial cars 

can also be deduced from the deplorable condition of rural 

roads in Kwara. He suggested policy options to bring about 

improvement in transportation including the provision of 

adequate funds for road construction and rehabilitation, 

community-oriented approach to rural road development 

and introduction of interventions that will improve the 

provision of rural transport services. 

Similar observations were made by Bassey and Eteng 

(2021) in their study in rural Cross River State. Their study 

noted that rural residents depend principally on the use of 

motorcycles for movement. They further observed that 

rural residents even use motorcycle operation as a means 

of earning livelihoods being that commercial motorcycle 

operators render such services to passengers. Ther study 

revealed that commercial motorcycle operation contributes 

to the development and growth of trading and agricultural 

activities thus, it is the major mode of transportation. With 

the observation that motorcycles ease movement as well as 

provide means for earning livelihoods for rural residents, 

they suggested that the government should empower the 

youths in rural areas with motorcycles and grant credit 

facilities to enable youths purchase their own motorcycles.  

 

Contributions of Rural Transportation to Socio-

economic Development  

 

In available literature, rural transportation has been 

recognized as catalysts to socio-economic development of 

regions and locations. It has tremendously contributed to 

the growth of the economy and standardization of the 

living conditions of rural residents. It should be noted that 

rural areas are mainly agrarian societies which means that 

farm produce are generated from farms which require 

efficient rural transportation system and modes to facilitate 

delivery. 

Tuan and Shimizu (2005) observed that in Vietnam, the use 

of motorcycle in rural transportation has increased the 



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number of workers and served as an income generating 

avenue for operators, while further contributing to revenue 

generation to the government. For instance, motorcycle 

owners purchase tickets on periodic basis as well as make 

necessary registration before being allowed to operate. The 

registration process contributes to the economic base of the 

government.  

In Malaysia, Sadullah (2006) used multinomial logit model 

to examine motorcycle ownership and rural transportation 

and how they contribute to agricultural development. His 

study shows that monthly household income, car 

ownership, total number of driving licenses in household 

and number of household members influenced motorcycle 

ownership. In the long run, transporters that were involved 

in delivering services through moving people and goods 

from place to place were earning reasonable amounts that 

increase their economic status and also they impact the 

society with their services. 

Hsu and Lin (2007) in Taipei Taiwan investigated both car 

and motorcycle ownerships with 336 samples using 

multinomial logit model. The study was based on the 

assumption that when both car and motorcycle are owned 

by the same household each will have a relation of 

substitution. The study concluded that the main reason for 

motorcycle and a car was not cost, but utility factors. The 

increase in reliability as well as convenience of a car, 

increased car ownership between 12% - 29% while it 

reduces motorcycle ownership. 

Lokesha and Mahesha (2016) observed that rural 

transportation including the use of lorries, cars, carts, 

motorcycles and so on contribute a lot to ensuring that the 

socioeconomic lives of rural residents receive a boost. For 

instance, they noted that when the above and more 

transportation modes are available, it becomes easy for 

products to be transported from farm to homes and/or 

markets. The increase in the options for transporting goods 

through increasing transportation modes further increases 

agricultural productivity for the overall benefits of the 

people. In the long run, the socio-economic lives of the 

people are improved. 

Ndiyo, Bassey and Ibia (2016) noted that rural 

transportation availability is central to the development of 

the economy of rural areas. Obviously, most rural areas 

depend on agricultural production and primary activities 

for economic sustenance. This will become increasingly 

impossible to achieve without the availability of 

transportation services to ensure and facilitate the 

conveyance of goods and services from places of 

production to where they can be marketed and/or 

consumed.  

Ogunnowo and Oderinde (2012) studied the linkages 

among rural transformation, provision of basic 

infrastructure and agricultural productivity in rural Nigeria 

with a view to determining how the socio-economic lives 

of rural residents is enhanced through transportation 

services. They noted that the transportation services 

provide the avenue for foods, fibre and other important 

rural products to be sold to urban areas while making huge 

profits. The amounts gotten as profits are used for family 

upkeep among other benefits. 

 According to Aderamo and Magaji (2010), rural 

transportation makes it easy for farm lands and towns to be 

accessed and as such areas with good transportation 

services are likely to provide their residents with more 

alternatives to economic survival than the reverse. Gbam 

(2017) observed that rural transportation is not only 

necessary in the production of agricultural products but 

further facilitates marketing of the products. He observed 

that in rural areas of Plateau State, transportation services 

helps in creating market for agricultural product and 

reduces spoilage and wastage of farm products. As a result, 

productivity is enlarged as farmers do not have fears of 

whether or not their products would be bought by traders. 

Gbam further argued that improvement in transportation 

can encourage farmers to work hard and increase 

production.  

 

Problems Militating Against Effective Rural 

Transportation Services 

 

The problems militating against rural transportation 

services are enormous. For instance the condition of rural 

transportation infrastructure such as the deplorable state of 

rural roads and shallow waters constitute problems to rural 

transportation. Tunde and Adeniyi, (2012) observed that it 

is difficult to embark on the movement of goods, people 

and services in the rural areas due to the bad condition of 

roads in rural areas of Nigeria. They observed that due to 

the deplorable state of the roads, transporters charge huge 

amounts as fares while moving goods and people. Usman 

(2014) also noted that the deplorable state of roads 

negatively affect movement of agricultural goods as 

motorists are usually unable to access these roads to the 

farms and back. 

Adedeji, Olafiaji, Omole, Olanibi, and Lukman (2014) 

observed that due to the poor state of rural roads, motorized 

transport costs are usually high especially during rainy 

season, as public transport operators hike their fares 

because of the increased vehicle running cost occasioned 

by the prevalent bad road conditions. Similar high fares are 

demanded when transporting goods from farms to markets 

or homes. In most occasions, farmers lack adequate finance 

to offset such bills thus; they prefer cultivating in small 

quantities. Others use head portage, bicycles, hand drawn 

carts which are energy consuming and cannot carry bulky 

loads like vehicles. 

Nsa (2016) lamented that the government of Nigeria is 

doing very little in the aspect of dredging water bodies. As 

a result of the inability of the government to dredge the 

water bodies, sophisticated speed boats and electronic 

canoes cannot be used in the transportation process. Nsa 

revealed that the shallow nature of the waters also do not 



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give room for the conveyance of bulky agricultural 

products as only small capacity canoes and boats can be 

used for the transportation of goods, people and services 

from place to place. 

Furthermore, terrain to a large extent can determine the 

development of transportation infrastructure. Ikem (2019) 

noted that rural areas with difficult terrains are usually 

relegated in the road infrastructure development of several 

communities. The reason is because; it would be quite 

expensive to finance the construction process. However, 

since the transportation infrastructure is not constructed, 

residents do not see reasons to purchase vehicles that 

would be used for transportation. It is in a similar 

observation that Yaro, Okon and Bisong (2014) showed 

that inaccessible rural areas convey their products through 

foot and human energy. 

There is also the problem of absence of self-help projects. 

Against this backdrop, Laah, Adefila and Yusuf (2014) had 

noted that the citizens of rural areas are not collaborating 

in the area of developing projects for themselves. Laah et 

al., (2014) buttressed on this while observing that the 

residents of rural Plateau State are not having effective 

partnership with the government in the development of 

rural road infrastructure for their common good.  

Okafor (2011) observed that in rural areas of Enugu, there 

is relegation by the rural residents in the aspect of 

collaborating in the areas of developing rural roads, 

maintaining roads and other transportation infrastructure. 

Okafor further remarked in areas with transportation 

infrastructure, the sustenance of the infrastructure has 

remained a problem due to unwillingness of the community 

residents to collaborate in rural project maintenance.  

However, the inability of the communities to collaborate in 

the development of projects and their maintenance unveils 

negative effects of effective use of transportation services. 

For instance, when the roads are in deplorable conditions, 

vehicles would likely break down and as such, transporters 

would be discouraged from offering transportation 

services. In the long run, there will be shortage of 

transportation services and the conveyance of goods and 

people would be difficult. 

 

Materials and Methods 

 

Study Area 

 

Abi Local Government Area is a border Local Government 

Area located on the Central Senatorial District of Cross 

River State. It lies between latitude 5°00’ and 6°30’ North 

of the Equator and longitude 8°00’ and 8°10’ East of the 

Greenwich Meridian (Akpoke, 2015). It is bounded in the 

North and West by Ebonyi State and on the East and South 

by Yakurr and Biase Local Government Areas of Cross 

River State respectively (figure 1). Major communities in 

Abi LGA include Adadama, Afafanyi, Igonigoni, Igbo 

Ekureku , Igbo Imabana, Usumutong, Itigidi, Ebom, Ediba, 

Annong, Itigeve, Egboronyi, Emin Ekpon, Isongiyang. Abi 

however has a total land mass of 334,53162km2 (Abi 

Leeds, 2016) 

Going by the 1991 National Population Census results, Abi 

Local Government Area had a population of 78,452 

persons (National Population Commission, 1991). Current 

projection with a growth rate of 2.8 percent put the 

population at 202,010 persons in 2019. The vegetation of 

Abi is characterized by mangrove and rainforest 

ecosystems which forms part of the rich fauna and flora of 

the state. The Abi soil is predominantly clay in nature. 

Some areas like, Ediba, Adadama and Igbo Imabana also 

have a mix of clay and loamy soil. The soil is fertile for 

agricultural activities and production of crops such as 

cassava, yam, maize, groundnut and vegetables. 

The word Abi is coined from the words; Agbo (A), 

Bahomono (B) and Igbo Imabana (I). The above clans 

formed the group of settlements in Abi. The Local 

Government Area was created on the 21st of September, 

1991. It was created from Yakurr Local Government Area 

and has Itigidi as its Headquarters. Abi people belong to 

the large heterogonous group of upper Cross River called 

Ekoi of the Bantusan family (Abi Leeds, 2016). The Abi 

people speak Bahomono and Agbo languages. The Abi 

people like all patriarchal societies have a rich cultural 

heritage, elaborately manifested in their traditional dances, 

festivals, marriage customs, chieftaincy and age grade 

system which are highly cherished (Abi Leeds, 2016). 

Farming is the predominant socio-economic activity in the 

study area. Subsistent agriculture is the major practice. 

Most of the residents in the study area are involved in rice, 

cassava, maize, yam, cocoa yam, groundnut, vegetables 

and fruit production. A small percentage of people are 

engaged in businesses and civil/public service jobs; with 

artisans also constituting a percentage of the population. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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Figure 1: Map of Abi LGA on the Map of Cross River State 

Source: Cross River Geographic Information Agency, 2020 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Methods 

 

The survey research design was adopted in this study. This 

required the design of sample questionnaires among others 

in the collection of data from the target population. The 

data collected were presented and analyzed in order to draw 



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inferences. The study further employed both primary and 

secondary data. The primary data include age of 

respondent, sex, occupation, educational qualification, 

mode of transportation, amount charged by transportation 

operators, factors determining choice of transportation 

mode etc. Secondary data were also used. Data from this 

category include population figure of the study area and 

maps of Nigeria, Cross River State and Abi LGA. The 

primary and secondary sources of data were used in the 

study. The primary sources of data used in this study 

include the use of questionnaires, direct observation and 

oral interviews. The secondary sources of data were 

published documents. These published documents include 

the 1991 population of Abi LGA which was collected from 

the National Population Commission Area Office, Calabar, 

maps from Cross River State Geographic Information 

Agency. Unpublished documents including past research 

works and government reports were used. The population 

of the study according to the 1991 population was 78,452. 

The population was projected to 2019 and it resulted to 

93,085. This number formed the sample frame for the 

study. In order to determine the sample size, the Taro 

Yamane formula of infinite population was used as 

follows.  

 n =       N       

        1+N(e)² 

Where; 

 n = Sample Size 

 N = Finite Population 

 e = Level of Significance (Limit of tolerable error 

=0.05) 

 n =                93,085        

  1+  93,085(0.05)² 

 n        93,085 

  1 +   93,085X 0.0025 

 n =          93,085    

  232.7125 

 n =400 

Therefore the sample size for the study was 400. 

The stratified random sampling method was adopted in the 

collection of data from the field. In the light of the above, 

Abi LGA was divided into three (3) units. The units were 

divided using the three major clans that make up the entire 

Abi LGA. There are; Agbo, Bahomono and Igbo Imabana 

clans which were considered as units in the stratification 

process. From each of the units established above, the 

researcher randomly selected four communities within 

each unit for data collection. In Agbo clan, the 

communities that were studied were Igbo Ekureku, Itigidi, 

Etani and Adadama. In Igbo Imabana clan, the 

communities studied were Ikpalegwa, Lehangha, Ebol and 

Ilike. In Bahomono clan, the communities studied were 

Anong, Ediba, Abeugo and Afafanyi. The systematic 

approach was used in distributing the questionnaire to the 

individual communities as shown in Table 1. Copies of 

questionnaire were the major instrument for data 

collection. Specifically, a total of 400 copies of 

questionnaires were administered in the study area. Table 

3.1 shows the number of questionnaires that were 

administered in each sampled community.  The 

questionnaires were distributed in line with the population 

of the community. In order to achieve this, the ratio of the 

sampled neighborhoods were divided by the total ratio of 

the entire sampled neighborhoods and multiplied by the 

sample size to arrive at the number of questionnaire 

distributed in each neighborhood. 

 

Using Egboronyi as an example, it was expressed as: 

n =R/TrXS 

Where: n = number of questionnaires to be distributed at 

each unit 

R = ratio of the projected population of each unit 

Tr = total ratio of the entire sample unit selected 

S = sample size 

n =  5/78 X 400 

n = 27 

Data were also obtained through oral interviews with 

community heads and youth leaders in the study area as 

well as the Town Planning Authority in Abi Local 

Government Area. In othertables and charts were used in 

carrying out the analysis of data that were obtained from 

the field. The hypothesis was tested using simple linear 

regression analysis. The hypothesis states that the level of 

service of rural transportation does not have significant 

effects on the socio-economic development of the residents 

in Abi Local Government Area. Statistical Package for 

Social Science (SPSS) was used in conducting the test. The 

Multiple Regression Analysis formula is as follows; Y = a 

+ b x + E. Where: Y = dependent variable, X = independent 

variable, a = intercept, b = slope, E = residual (error) 

 

Results and Discussions 

 

Table 2 revealed that the preferred mode of transporting 

goods among respondents differ. As seen in the table 209 

(55.5 percent) respondents prefer using motorcycle while 

13 (3.5 percent) prefer cars. Equally, 13 (3.4 percent) 

respondents use speed boats for movement within the 

LGA. The table also showed that 21 (5.6 percent) 

respondents travel within the LGA with canoes while 134 

(35.5 percent) trek within the LGA.  

The modes for transporting goods among the respondents 

in the study area is presented in table 3. The table shows 

that 138 (36.6 percent) transport goods with motorcycles 

while 28 (7.4 percent) transport goods within the LGA 

through cars. The table further revealed that 69 (18.3 

percent) transport goods within the LGA through canoes 

and 8 (2.1 percent) use speed boats. Those that trek with 

goods were 74 representing 19.6 percent and 60 (16 percent 



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use wheelbarrows. From the table, it is obvious that those 

that use motorcycles are more. This equally implies that 

motorcycles are the most used transportation mode in the 

study area. 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 1: Distribution of Questionnaire  
S/N Unit 1991 Population Projected 

Population 2019 

Ratio Sample size Response Rate 

 Agbo      

1 Egboronyi 832 1,647 3 15 13 

2 Igbo Ekureku 2068 4,481 9 46 43 

3 Itigidi 7475 16,198 11 56 49 

4 Adadama 6743 14,612 
  

 

 Igbo Imabana      

5 Ikpalegwa 1589 3,443 5 26 25 

6 Lehanga 744 1,612 2 10 10 

7 Ebol 1809 3,920 6 31 29 

8 Ilike 2014 4,281 8 41 34 

 Bahomono      

9 Anong 1976 4,201 7 36 36 

10 Ediba 8936 19,364 12 62 59 

11 Abeugo 905 1,961 4 21 19 

12 Afafanyi 2531 5,485 10 51 9 

 Total  31,631 36,531 78 400 377 

Source: Statistical Computation, 2019 

 

Table 2: Preferred Mode of Transportation by 

Respondents 
Transportation 

mode 

Frequency  Percentage 

Motorcycle  209 55.4 

Car 13 3.5 

Canoe  21 5.6 

Speed boat 13 3.4 

Trekking  121 32.1 

Total 377 100 

Source: Field Survey, 2020 

 

Table 3: Preferred Mode of Transportation for Goods 
Transportation 

Mode 

Frequency  Percentage 

Motorcycle  138 36.6 

Car 28 7.4 

Canoe  69 18.3 

Speed boat 8 2.1 

Trekking  74 19.6 

Wheelbarrow 60 16 

Total 377 100 

Source: Field Survey, 2020 

 

Table 4: Level of Service of Transportation 
Level Frequency  Percentage 

Excellent 171 45.4 

High 112 29.7 

Medium 59 15.7 

Low 16 4.2 

Very low 19 5 

Total 377 100 

Source: Field Survey, 2020 

 

The level of service of transportation modes by the 

respondents was ascertained in table 4. The information in 

the table revealed that 187 (49.6 percent) respondents were 

of the view that the service was excellent while 132 (35 

percent) said it is high. The table further revealed that 58 

(15.4 percent) respondents were of the opinion that it is 

medium while 16 (4.2 percent) said it is low and 19 (5 

percent) said it is very low. From the findings, it was clear 

that those that depend on transportation modes for their 

businesses on daily basis were more. This was based on 

their judgment that the level of service of transportation is 

excellent and high. By implication, it may be deduced that 

transportation services are high in the study area. 

 

Table 5: Activity that Attract Transportation Modes 

Activity  Frequency  Percentage 

Farming 125 33.2 

Commercial  198 52.5 

Others  54 14.3 

Total 377 100 

Source: Field Survey, 2020 

 

The activities that demand the use of transportation modes 

within the study area by respondents varies. Table 5 shows 

that 125 (33.2 percent) use various transportation modes 

for farming purposes while 198(52.5 percent) use them for 

commercial activities. The responses of 54 (14.3 percent) 

respondents explained that they depend on transportation 

modes for other activities such as tourism, recreation and 

sporting activities. 

 



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Table 6: How Rural Transportation Contribute to 

Economic Development 

Contribution Frequency  Percentage 

Employment  133 35.3 

Agricultural 

Expansion 

187 49.6 

Revenue 

Generation by 

Government 

39 10.3 

Others  18 4.8 

Total 377 100 

Source: Field Survey, 2020 

 

Rural transportation is highly beneficial as it provides the 

means of earning livelihoods as noted in Table 6. 

Respondents under this category include motorcycle 

operators, canoe sailors, drivers and wheel barrow pushers. 

These persons are principally employed by those they offer 

services and the means of generating funds is dependent on 

the services they offer. The Table further revealed that 187 

(49.6 percent) have been positively effected through the 

use of transportation modes to the extent that their 

agricultural practices have been expanded. Also, 39 (10.3 

percent) respondents were of the view that the constant and 

consistent use of transportation modes leads to increase in 

the revenue that is generated by the government. These 

revenues come in the aspect of tickets and taxation on 

commercial operators of transportation modes. Even more, 

private owners of transportation modes seek for licensing 

and renewal of documents (when necessary). 

 

Table 7: Level of Socioeconomic Development 

Level Frequency  Percentage 

Excellent 126 33.4 

High 78 20.7 

Medium 99 26.3 

Low 56 14.9 

Very low 18 4.7 

Total 377 100 

Source: Field Survey, 2020 

 

Table 7 explained the level of socioeconomic development 

in the study area. The study showed that 126 (33.4 percent) 

respondents agreed that the level of socioeconomic 

development is excellent due to rural transportation while 

78 (20.7 percent) respondents revealed that its high while 

99 (26.3 percent) said that the level of socioeconomic 

development is medium. In the views of 56 (14.9 percent) 

respondents, the level is low while 18 (4.7 percent) 

respondents say the level is very low. With this 

information, it is clear that the residents of the study area 

are taking advantage of the availability of transportation 

modes to expand development, 

 

 

 

Test of Hypothesis 

 

The hypothesis formulated for the study was tested using 

simple linear regression analysis. The null hypothesis 

states that “The level of service of rural transportation does 

not have significant effect on the socioeconomic 

development of the residents in Abi Local Government 

Area”. Analysis was based on Statistical Package for 

Social Sciences (SPSS). The result of the analysis is 

presented in table 8 

 

The result from the regression test as presented in table 

4.15 shows that the calculated significant value was 0.516 

which is greater than 0.05. Based on this result, the null 

hypothesis was accepted and the alternative hypothesis was 

rejected. This implies that the level of service of rural 

transportation does not have significant effect on the 

socioeconomic development of the residents in Abi Local 

Government Area. This suggest that the totality of the lives 

of the people of the study area is not basically dependent 

on the transportation services in the area. Therefore, other 

activities such as trading, agricultural practices among 

others may account for the level of socioeconomic 

development. 

 Discussion of Findings 

The various means and modes of transportation in the 

study area were identified. It was revealed that the 

predominant mode of transporting goods within the study 

area is motorcycle. Other modes equally exist which 

include cars, canoes and trekking. The reason for the 

continuous use of motorcycle is the state of the road which 

is highly deplorable. Obviously, the use of motorcycles 

above other modes is due to the fact that motorcycles have 

the ability to be manipulated into roads that are not in very 

good state. Due to the fact the roads in the study area are 

not in good conditions, residents of the study area prefer 

moving within the study area with motorcycles. This 

observation aligns with the findings of Dinye (2013) who 

revealed that motorcycles are the predominant 

transportation mode in rural areas. Dinye noted that rural 

areas are dominated by low income earners that lack 

financial capabilities of purchasing cars for movement 

within their localities. Dinye further revealed that the 

motorcycles are also used for commercial purposes by the 

people and therefore provide the means of earning 

Table 8: Model Summary 

Model R 

R 

Square 

Adjusted 

R Square 

Std. 

Error of 
the 

Estimat

e 

Change Statistics 

R 

Square 

Change 

F 

Chan

ge 

Sig. F 

Change 

1 .234a .055 -.064 53.534 .055 .462 .516 

a. Predictors: (Constant), x 



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Global Scientific Research           39 
 

livelihoods to transporters.  However, motorcycles are 

configured to be manipulated on land therefore, land is 

largely used as means of transporting people and goods in 

the study area. Residents in the study area also trek to 

locations to deliver goods and services. Moreso, the 

availability of large river bodies in Abi LGA has promoted 

the use of canoes for transportation within the study area. 

The result of the hypothesis has shown that socio-

economic development in the study area is not completely 

tied to the level of service of rural transportation. This 

imply that other variables equally contribute to economic 

development in the study area. Instance of such variables 

may include infrastructure availability such as electricity, 

water and other job opportunities. Nevertheless, rural 

transportation have contributions only that it is not the sole 

determinant of socio-economic development in the study 

area. For instance, the study noted that rural transportation 

provides residents with the means of earning livelihoods. 

Notably, through rural transportation, the services of 

motorcycle operators, canoe sailors, drivers and wheel 

barrow pushers are employed. Obviously, the funds they 

generate are used to aid their livelihoods. Equally, 

transportation contributes to agricultural expansion further 

revealing in food production at increased level. This is 

because, energy and travel distances are saved through the 

use of machines for traveling to farms and markets. This 

assertion is buttressed by the findings of Hartoyo (2013) 

who showed that the development of roads in rural 

Indonesia promoted agricultural practices and ensure food 

availability. Okoko, (2011) returned that rural 

transportation in Ghana also promoted agricultural 

activities in Ghana. Also, transportation contributes to 

increase in revenue generation by the government in form 

of vehicle licensing and daily ticket sales to commercial 

transporters. The problems militating against effective 

rural transportation services in the study area are poor 

funding, limiting the regular rehabilitation and upgrading 

of road. This particular reason has resulted in the presence 

of deplorable roads and collapsing transportation 

infrastructure. Another factor is the difficult terrain in the 

study area which demands large sums for fixing of roads 

further serving as a discouraging factor for the government 

to commit funds to road development.   

 

Recommendations 

 

In line with the study objectives and subsequent findings, 

the following recommendations were made; 

 

i. Since land is the predominant transportation means, 

the roads in the study area should be rehabilitated 

regularly. 

ii. Residents in the study area should be encouraged 

with facilities for mobility such as motorcycles, 

vehicles and wheel barrows so as to encourage 

productivity among the residents of the people 

iii. There is need for diversification of the economy and 

rehabilitation of more roads within the study area so 

as to encourage farmers to embark on agricultural 

productivity. 

iv. Funding for road rehabilitation should be increased 

by the government. 

v. Finally, other sources of funding such as Public 

Private Partnerships should be advocated in the road 

development/rehabilitation process. 

 

5. Conclusion 

 

The study assessed rural transportation in Abi LGA. The 

study specifically identified the predominant transportation 

means and modes that are used for rural transportation in 

the study area. The study identified that land is the main 

transportation means that the residents of Abi LGA travel 

within the LGA. Transportation modes used by the 

residents include motorcycles, cars, wheel barrows and 

others trek. As seen in the study area, rural transportation 

contributes to the development of socio-economic 

activities, yet, socio-economic development is not 

completely tied to the level of service of transportation in 

the study area. This is because some of the residents do not 

mainly use machines for movement.  

Finally, rural transportation in the area is plagued with 

problems. The problems basically include weak funding by 

relevant authorities and weak monitoring/supervision in 

the road development/rehabilitation process. 

 

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