This study is focused on the analysis of women empowerment in cassava production and processing as a means of household poverty status in Kwara State, Nigeria. Women in Kwara State were empowered by RTEP inorder to improve their living standard and there was therefore the need to evaluate the impact of the programme on the women‟s income, productivity and poverty status.Primary data were collected from the farmers and processors who were participants or non-participants in Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) through the use of structured questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to select the LGAs and villages, while random sampling was used to select the respondents and 12%(199) of the sample frame was used for this study. Tools for analyses were descriptive statistics such as frequency, tables, percentages, FGT, double difference estimators and multiple regressions. The results of the analysis showed that mean age for participants and non-participants farmers were 40 and 37 years and the mean age for participant and non-participant processors were 40 and 39 years respectively. Results of intensity of cassava production revealed that factors such as age(p<0 .001=”” 0.02=”” 0.05=”” 0.07=”” 0.14=”” 0.17=”” 0.19=”” 1=”” 23.88=”” 27.87=”” 32.65=”” 57.64=”” 5=”” about=”” acted=”” after=”” agents=”” agro-chemicals=”” alleviated.=”” also=”” an=”” and=”” are=”” areas=”” at=”” be=”” before=”” both=”” by=”” can=”” capital=”” cassava=”” conclusion=”” constraint=”” depth=”” difference=”” double=”” due=”” empowerment=”” encountered=”” established=”” estimates=”” estimators=”” extension=”” farmers=”” fgt=”” followed=”” for=”” from=”” government=”” had=”” high=”” impacted=”” improvement=”” in=”” inadequate=”” incidenceso=”” income=”” increase=”” increases=”” indicating=”” influenced=”” influences=”” intensity=”” it=”” levels=”” major=”” market=”” mean=”” more=”” non-participant=”” non-participants=”” noted=”” occupation=”” of=”” on=”” p=”” participant=”” participants=”” participated=”” participation=”” percentage=”” poor=”” positive=”” positively=”” poverty=”” price=”” probability=”” problems=”” processing.=”” processing=”” processors.=”” processors=”” produce.=”” production=”” productivity=”” programme.=”” programme=”” programmes=”” recommended=”” regression=”” results=”” revealed=”” rtep=”” severity=”” should=”” showed=”” significant=”” significantly=”” span=”” statistically=”” status.=”” status=”” that=”” the=”” their=”” themultiple=”” there=”” therefore=”” thisindicates=”” those=”” thus=”” time=”” to=”” together=”” training=”” values=”” variables=”” visits=”” was=”” were=”” when=”” where=”” which=”” while=”” who=”” with=”” women=”” years=””>

1.1    Background to the study