THE ROLE OF NUPE WOMEN IN THE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING OF KULI KULI (PEANUT) IN BIDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NIGER STATE, 1970 – 2010

Agricultural activities have historically played a vital role in the economic sustenance of rural Nigerian communities. Among the numerous crops cultivated include groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), commonly known as peanut, stands out as a staple food crop and source of income especially in northern Nigeria and one of its by-products is kuli kuli. kuli kuli is a deep-fried snack made from groundnut paste after oil extraction. It serves both as a food supplement and a source of livelihood for women engaged in its production . Groundnut in Niger State is ranked 7th with 453,577 tons per year . Bida local government is growing groundnut on 1,450 hectares of land with Kuli-Kuli as by product of groundnut which is the West African snack primarily made from grounded groundnuts, first made by Nupe people of Bida who are domiciled in the aforementioned sub-region . The Bida people, who are predominantly Muslims, have a rich cultural heritage that is reflected in their processing and production of locally made snacks such as kuli-kuli. This study is conducted to explore ways of improving the processes of production of Kuli-Kuli among women of Bida Town, Niger State of Nigeria with a view to examining it's contribution to the development of the area from 1970 - 2010.