ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the study

Food production is geographically dispersed and the task of linking the several food production centers with the consumption centers instance is critically dependent on physical distribution: (According to Owen 1969:86) that the wide variety of Nigeria food would not be available without the complex of transportation system which serves the food industry farm product, therefore depend upon transportation for the creation and preservation of their value.Based on the above reasoning, the impact as well as very important to the road transportation system is also investigated the study with a particular reference to the marketing of consumer goods in Enugu metropolis. The quest to achieve self-sufficiency food production is one of the highest priority areas facing most of the world’s people today, it is also a problem that threatens to worsen rapidly in the years ahead (According to Okereke 1984) on the road transport on the marketing of consumers goods that the interaction between transportation and consumers economic development is always a subject of theoretical interest and practical importance while some regard transport improvement as indispensable to an acceleration of the development process, others look at transport development as a result of rather than a cause of economic development.(Nigeria trade journals, Vol, 9 No 1 January/March 1961) report on nation food and organization conference (FAO) that the food requirements of the developing nations will increase by a staggering 125% by 1989. On the other hand problems relating to rural inaccessibility have continued to play the world and in particular Nigeria distribution. It is on this basis that government and transport policy makers should intensify efforts to improve the transportation system especially in road network system. Their collective or individual efforts and endeavors should be directed towards fighting a war against hunger, and providing necessary transport facilities and services and contribute to judicious investment decision in related areas that can help assure the supply of additional food and its distribution to consumers.
However, it becomes a matter for debate and intensive inquiry whether it is beneficial to extend and improve transport facilities as development proceeds or whether the available limited capital resources should be (hopefully more efficient and beneficial) invested in other sectors of economy.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Ever since the beginning of time, consumers and transportation have always co-existed inseparably. This is not only because the source of food and fiber or other economic products must be reasonable accessible and on being collected be distributed to markets, ports and factories carries services operation are necessary condition for effecting an efficient physical distribution of consumers goods. Transportation network is a cornerstone of the modern food marketing system. Transportation serves as a means of moving goods, ideas and information geared towards increase productivity.
In Nigerian road constitute the most important infrastructure in the structural transformation of her consumer products in Enugu metropolis, most of the road traverse a territory of sharp contrasts in climate, soil and vegetations and this hinders consumers progress. In some rural areas most of the road which are of course essential for the prompt evacuation of produce from the farms to the market places are often time inaccessible all year round. Most of these road, poorly devoured and winding, this prevents easy access to the hinder land where the majority of the farmers were located. Even where such road are in a fair condition there is the problem caused by poor maintenance, lack of adequate executive capacity, lack of suitable materials and management problem. The vicious combination of these factors is that cost are higher.
Besides, the inadequacy of road network services are inefficiently executed, delay in transit bad loading and off-loading, rough handling of goods characterize road net transport resulting in great losses from damages spoilage and deterioration of preventing farmers from specializing in the crops that offer them the best return. If consumers is to respond to the growing demand then it will be necessary to evolve a good progressive rural structure with rural roads to expedite and reduce the cost of the flow of consumer commodities information and all sorts of rural services to enable it contribute meaningfully to general economic growth. This will also help to accommodate increase traffic flows in both direction impute moving from the urban area to the farm and output in the opposite direction. The task involves a large additional to rural network and maintaining existing road, the expansion of storage and processing facilities and a new institutional arrangement for managing and financing the total system. 

1.3      OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 

This study will attempt to relate road transport to the economy as regards to the marketing of consumer’s goods in Enugu metropolis. The objective include:
(1) To determine the extent to which road transportation system has affected the marketing of consumer goods.

(2) To identify those factors that are directly or indirectly related to the marketing of consumers goods and to what extend they have contributed to it.

(3) To offer useful recommendation with a view to make the marketing of consumer goods a successful and effective in Enugu metropolis.
(4) To find out whether transportation system especially in road network system improved the marketing of consumers in Nigeria.
(5) To find out how road transportation system help consumers in the distribution of their products in Nigeria.

1.4 HYPOTHESES FORMULATION

H0:The nature of road network in Enugu South Local Government Area affects the marketing of consumer goods.

H1:The nature of road transport system in Enugu South Local Government Area does not affect the marketing of consumer goods.
H0:The nature of road network in Enugu south L.G.A. does not affects the marketing of consumer goods.

H2:The nature of road network in Enugu south L.G.A. affects the marketing of consumer goods.

Hypotheses 3

H0:Inaccessibility reduces the incentive to transport consumer goods.

H3: Inaccessibility does not reduces the incentive to transport consumer goods.

1.4      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The increased interest in this study is due partially to the gainful and developmental inputs consumers can make to the economy and most importantly to the tremendous impact of transportation infrastructure on regional economic. 

This is because transport and development as well as consumers are usually closely related since each of them influences the fortunes and the relative rate of growth of the others.
The significance of this study is further highlighted considering that in Nigeria, the road is the only mode of transport by which all the staes of the federation are linked, especially with regards to the movement and distribution of consumer’s goods from the various rural areas of production to the different urban areas of the state for consumption.
Finally, the study shall also serve as a stimulant or reference guide for further research in this area especially in this era of population explosion and impending food shortage.

1.5      SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In Enugu metropolis, most of the consumer goods are:
Yam
Garri
Cassava
Ricse
Tomatoes etc.
These are produced in the village located in the remote town, because of difference in ecological factors such climate, soil, texture etc. are produce more in the village several types of food and other consumers goods than others.
Taking cognizance of the fact that the study corners the entire Enugu metropolis, as a result of dearth of time therefore, it would be fire some and almost impossible to visit all the town in Enugu metropolis, secondly, because the attendants cost involved if the whole towns should be visited cannot be afforded by the researcher, coupled also with the final year academic work and recognising that Emene zone is the greatest producer of the main food items.

Yam
Garri
Cassava
In this areas the study therefore will be restricted and limited to the aforementioned zone in investigating the impact of road transport system on the marketing of consumer goods in Enugu metropolis.

1.6      DEFINITION OF TERMS

Considering that the subject matter of the study is the impact of road transportation system on the marketing of road transportation system on the marketing of consumer goods in Nigeria, a definition of the concepts should include the following:

Consumer:
Marketing:
Transportation:
Consumer goods: could be defined as those goods that are needed for the satisfaction of the consumer’s needs, just to mention but few, (garri, yam, tomatoes).

MARKETING: on its own is define as the performance of all business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from the producer to the consumer’s user. According to (Kotler 1980:9) marketing is defined as a human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange process.
Transportation: is a system for carrying people or goods from one place to another using vehicles or roads.

1.7      SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The researcher covers three areas in writing this project and they are:
Emene
Abakpa
New Market

The fact remains that the modes of operation of consumer goods from the place of production to where it is been sold is a cumbersome task in the hands of the producer. This is because consumer’s goods like vegetable, yam and tomatoes are being produced in the remote area lkeAbakpa, Emene and sometimes Abakaliki and usually produce in large quantity.
As earlier said that this product are produce in the rural areas by the farmer, the problem of transporting this goods from the village to where it is needed can only be done through transportation by land or train where the lather are still functional.

1.9 STUDY AREA

Enugu State is in the South-east geo-graphical zone of Nigeria. It was created on August 27, 1991 with Enugu city as its capital.  The state derives its name Enugu (Hill Top) from the capital city which was established in 1909 as small coal mining town. From Enugu the British administration was able to spread its influence over the southern Province of Nigeria. The Colonial past of Enugu is today evidence by the Georgian building types and meandering narrow roads within the residential area originally reserved for the whites, an area which is today called the Government Reserved Area (GRA.)

From being the capital of the southern Province, Enugu became the capital of the Eastern Region (now divided into nine States), and Capital of the defunct Republic of Biafra, thereafter it became the capital of East Central State, Anambra State, (old) Enugu State, and now the present Enugu State through a process of state creation and diffusion of administrative authority. A traditional Enugu man is hospital, warm and enterprising. The State is predominately occupied by the Igbo ethnic group with some pockets of Igala speaking communities of Ette in Igbo-Eze-North LGA, Ogurugu and Ojjor in Uzo-Uwani LGA respectively. Enugu State shares boarders with Abia State and Imo State to South, Ebonyi State to the east, Benue State to the northeast, Kogi State to the North West and Anambra state to the west. The state is located in a tropical rain forest zone with humid climate. The mean daily temperature is 26.7 °C (80.1 °F). As in the rest of West Africa, the rainy season and dry season are the only weather periods that recurs in the State. The State Government and the Local Government are the two levels of government in Enugu State as in all other states of Nigeria. Sullivan Chime is the current Executive Governor of Enugu State. He was first elected in April 2007 and was sworn into office on May 29th, 2007. He recontested the position in 2011 and was re-elected. The governor has a group of commissioners, who oversee government portfolios such as Health, Housing, Education, works etc.   Both the governor and the commissioners form the Executive Council of Enugu State.  The seat of government is based at the Government House, Enugu. There are 17 Local Government Area in Enugu State. These are Aninri, Agwu, Enugu East, Enugu North, Enugu South, Ezeagu, Igbo Etiti, Igbo-eze North, Igboeze South, Isi-Uzo, Nkanu East, Nkanu West, Nsukka, Oji-River, Udenu, Udi, Uzo-Uwani.

 

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