LAND CONTROL AND POVERTY STATUS OF FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN NIGERIA

PurposeThis study aims to explore dietary diversity (DD) and nutritional status of adolescents among rural farm households in Southwestern Nigeria. It analyses whether higher commercialization levels of farm households translate to better nutrition.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted in Ogun and Oyo States of Southwestern Nigeria, using primary data from 352 farm households with a total of 160 adolescent members. The individual version of dietary diversity score (DDS) of nine food groups was used to calculate adolescent DDS over a 24-h recall period. World Health Organization AnthroPlus software was used in analyzing adolescents’ anthropometric data (height-for-age z-score and body mass index-for-age z-score) while household crop commercialization index (CCI) was estimated for each farm household. Separate logit models were used to examine the drivers of adolescents’ DD and malnutrition.FindingsThe study findings indicated that 100% of the adolescents consumed starchy staples while 0%, 3.1% and 12.5% consumed organ meat, milk/milk products and eggs, respectively. Results revealed that 74.1% and 21.2% of boys were stunted and thin while the prevalence in adolescent girls was 50.7% and 9.3%, respectively. Prevalence of stunting was found to be very high (60%–83%) in all the four CCI levels’ households indicating that belonging to highly commercialized households (CCI 3–4) may not necessarily translate to better nutrition of adolescent members. Food expenditure (p < 0.01) and access to piped water (p < 0.01) negatively influenced adolescents’ stunting mainly because of lower expenditure on food items and lower percent of household having access to piped water, respectively, while education (p < 0.01) had positive effects on adolescents’ DD.Originality/valuePrevious studies have contributed to the body of knowledge concerning the link between agricultural commercialization and nutrition using under-five children of the households. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the influence of CCI on DDS and nutritional status of adolescent members of farm households in Nigeria. This study fills this existing knowledge gap in investigating adolescents’ DD and malnutrition among smallholder farm households.

The prevalence of child malnutrition among farming households in rural Nigeria is a burden to the economy now and in the future. Secondary data was employed in the study, collected from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) for 2018 conducted by the National Population Commission (NPC). The study focused on 3,177 children (0-57 months) whose fathers were employed in agriculture. Descriptive statistics, probit regression, and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilised. The study affirmed moderately high child malnutrition in Nigeria. The disaggregation revealed that the northern zone (55.31%) had higher child malnutrition than the southern zone (32.19%). The likelihood that a child selected at random would be malnourished was higher in the northern geopolitical zones. The higher child malnutrition rate in the northwest than in the northeast geopolitical zone posited that insecurity alone did not cause child malnutrition among rural farming households in Nigeria. There was significant variation in child malnutrition status among the geopolitical zones. Household size, mother’s education and household economic status influenced child malnutrition in the Northeast, northwest, and northcentral, respectively. Additionally, distance to healthcare facilities, mother’s age and mothers’ engagement in agriculture drive child malnutrition in the northcentral, northeast and southern geopolitical zones. Consequently, training of unemployed mothers in craft making and processing of agricultural produce (northcentral and southern zone) to enhance household income by NGOs, intensification of the family planning campaign (northcentral and northeast) by NGOs and health Department of Local Government Area and basic/adult education (northwest) are the geopolitical zones’ specific recommendations to reduce child malnutrition in Nigeria.

Despite a large scale government investment to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, rural poverty remains widespread in Nigeria. However, technical efficiency effects on the transitory poverty have not received much attention in the poverty literature in Nigeria due to lack of nationally representative panel data that can track the poverty status of households over time. Using a two-wave panel data between 2010 and 2015, technical efficiency and socioeconomic effects on poverty dynamics of cassava-based rural farming households in Nigeria was investigated. Results showed that 14.9% of the cassava farming households moved into poverty while 31.6% exited poverty. In the long run, the probability that rural cassava-based farmers would be non-poor (74%) was higher than those remaining in poverty. Two out of five (42.2%) cassava-based farmers who were always poor exited technical inefficiency. A large number of farmers were actively involved in mono-cropping and mixed cropping but 29.7%, 26.0% and 16.6% of those involved in mono-cropping were always poor, entered and exited poverty, respectively. Tertiary education, marital status, access to extension, farm size, membership of association, farming systems and technical efficiency were factors influencing poverty transitions in rural Nigeria.

Aims This study examined the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown among farming households in rural Nigeria. Method A structured questionnaire was utilised to elicit information from 585 crop farmers across four States in Nigeria. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Result The mean age of respondents was 44 years, with an average farming experience of 21 years. The average farm size was found to be 2.4 hectares. About 56% of the respondents were able to identify COVID-19-induced farm business stress. About 70% reported they had experienced income loss due to the COVID-19 lockdown. About 54% of the respondents self-reported COVID-19-induced mental health stress. About 74% reported experiencing mental health effects in the form of headaches, 48% said anxiety, 44% reported worry, and 41% reported depression. Self-reported mental health coping strategies include rest (63%), social gathering (57%), religious gathering (52%), and the use of drugs (40%). Males were 3.7 times more likely to experience COVID-19-induced mental health issues from their farm business than their female counterparts. Single respondents were 2.44 times more likely to experience COVID-19-induced mental health issues from their farm business than their married counterparts. We also documented that households with larger family sizes had lower mental health stress. We also found that respondents with higher incomes had lower mental health stress. Conclusion We concluded that most farming households experienced COVID-19-induced mental health stress. Targeted mental health campaigns, support, and intervention are recommended to help farmers address mental health stressors.

Contract farming was introduced in Nigeria to address the challenges faced by smallholder farming households in realising farming objectives. Therefore, this study examined the effectiveness of the Anchor-borrower Outgrowers’ Programme in fulfilling one of its roles of increasing the net farm income of poultry farming households in Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used for data collection from the respondents. The endogenous switching regression model was used to estimate the impact of contract farming on the net farm income of farming households in Southwestern Nigeria. The findings from the first stage of the Endogenous Switching Regression Model revealed that age, major distribution outlet, off-farm income, transaction cost, flock size, and association membership determined farmers’ participation in the poultry anchor-borrower outgrowers’ scheme. The second stage further revealed the socioeconomic characteristics affecting the net income of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, including sales price, flock size, proximity to the urban center (Lagos), education qualification, off-farm income, and transaction cost. The result from the estimated average treatment effect (ATE) revealed that participation in anchor-borrower poultry contract farming had a positive influence on the net farm income of beneficiaries. Thus, evaluating and providing solutions to factors highlighted in this study that hinder participation in contract farming is important to ensuring more farmers enjoy the opportunities provided by contract farming. In this same vein, contract farming programmes in Nigeria should consider providing fixed inputs such as land and buildings through lease agreements, as this influences participation in the programme. In addition, older farmers should be encouraged to key into anchor-borrower poultry contract farming and refrain from viewing them as scam schemes akin to past programmes they engaged in over their extensive years of agricultural experience.

This study evaluates the impact of non-farm enterprises on the poverty status of rural farming households in Nigeria. The data were obtained from General Household Survey fielded by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2010/2011 and 2015/2016. However, only 1,619 matched observations were used for analyses, using Propensity Score Matching, Double Difference, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty measures and Poverty Equivalent Growth Rates (PEGRs). The results show that 53.3% of participants lived below the poverty line (poor) in 2011, while in 2016, this proportion declined to 31.94%. The poverty incidence of female participants (0.5504) decreased by 53.68% while that of male participants (0.4112) decreased by 4.81%. If female participants had not participated in non-farm enterprises, their poverty would have been reduced by only 9.7% but due to participation, it was reduced by 53.68%. The Poverty Equivalent Growth Rates are higher for all the three FGT measures than the actual growth rates for all participants, males and females with females showing higher poverty reduction; which means that growth was propoor, although the poverty of the poor decreased more than that of the core poor. Also, after five years there is a decline in poverty incidences of participants across the six geopolitical zones and the decline was mostly felt in the North East (NE) followed by North Central (NC) while the least percentage decline was seen in North West (NW). Since participation in non-farm activities had a significant impact on the poverty of participants, the promotion of non-farm enterprises among poor farmers should be encouraged.

The task of fighting food insecurity and poverty remains a moving target for policy makers in Nigeria. The fact that agriculture employs 70 percent of the active labour force and the country is food insecure shows there is more to be desired. However, little is known about food insecurity and Information Communication Technology (ICT) among farmers in Nigeria using a national representative data. Therefore, this study examined the effect of ICT on food insecurity among farming households in Nigeria. The General Household Survey Panel dataset (GHS-Panel) collected by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2013 was used for this study. Data from a total of 2,240 farming households were analysed. The study adopted Foster, Greer and Thorbecke Methodology (FGT), Descriptive statistical tools and Probit regression model for the analysis of relevant data. This study found 43 percent of farming households were food insecure. The average age of household heads was 52 years with fairly large household size of 7. The most commonly used ICT devices are radio, television and mobile phones. Again, households that have access to ICT were found to be less food insecure. The probit regression analysis showed household size, location (rural or urban), zone of residence (North Central, North East, North West and South West), distance to market, marital status, access to radio, access to television and access to mobile phones were the determinants of food insecurity among farming households in Nigeria. This study therefore recommended, increased campaigns on family planning among farming households by government and multilateral organisations. Also, government and organised private sector should provide adult literacy training programs for farmers to improve their literacy skills and use of ICT. Finally, government should subsidize food prices for food insecure farming households especially those in rural Nigeria.

Profitable farming is a prime target of all farmers regardless of the scale of production adopted and the veritable opportunity to attain the threshold of bumper harvest is not unconnected with the adoption of new technology. Bio-fortified vitamin A cassava remains the best option for farmers to experience improvement in cassava performance in both the quality and quantity terms and they are encouraged to adopt it in order to improve their households’ welfare. The survey was launched to investigate the effect of bio-fortified vitamin A cassava on the poverty status of the farming households in Nigeria using Oyo State as a case study. A Multistage sampling technique was used to sample a total of 186 cassava farmers comprising 92 adopters and 94 non-adopters of bio-fortified vitamin A cassava variety using copies of well-structured questionnaires. Parametric tools used were descriptive statistics and probit regression for socioeconomic characteristics and adoption status analysis. The socioeconomic results showed that both the adopters and non-adopters were in the productive ages of 42 years and 59 years respectively. The majorities of farmers in the two categories were married and had formal education. Years of experience possessed by them were 11 years and 18 years while both groups were members of associations. Poverty classification result showed 41.3% of adopters being poor while 83.0% of non-adopters were poor. Marital status (2.1271&lt;p=0.05), education (1.1510; p&lt;0.1), seasonal income (0.0757; p=0.05) and poverty status (I.6019; p&lt;0.1) had influence on the farmers’ adoption status while lack of credit was voted highest among the factors militating against adoption of bio-fortified vitamin A cassava. It is therefore recommended that stakeholders in the crop enterprise should make frantic efforts in providing credit and other basic inputs that will enhance improved vitamin A adoption.

In a country where millions of farming household heads struggle to feed their families in the face of economics hardship, the need to diversify income sources becomes inevitable. This study therefore examined the determinants of livelihood diversification among farming households in Nigeria. Using secondary data from the generalized household survey (GHS) 2018/2019 wave 4, this study investigated the relationship between nutrition security and livelihood diversification among farming households in Nigeria. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), and two stage least square regression model. Results from the computed mean adequacy ratio (MAR) showed that 54% of the farming households were found to be nutrition insecure, while 46% were nutrition secure. The profiling of nutrition security status of the farming households showed that majority of farming households were nutritional insecure. The mapping also indicated that farming households in North central, Northwest, South-south and Southwest were more nutrition secure than farming households in the Northeast and Southeast. The two stage least square (2SLS) regression result revealed that age had a substantial negative impact on nutrition security, while sex, education, household size, and livelihood diversification had favourable positive significant effects. The study therefore conclude that a strong and favourable correlation exist between nutrition security and livelihood diversification. The study recommends the need to improve nutrition security in Nigeria through nutrition education and sensitization programs on dietary diversity and micronutrient adequacy as well as enlightening of farmers on the need to consume more of foods that are rich in micronutrients.

Forest land use among farming households in Nigeria contributes adverse environment effect. The study assessed adoption and the cost implication of sustainable forest land use (agroforestry practices) among farming households in Nigeria forest reserves. A total of 300 farming households were randomly sampled using a multistage sampling technique. It was revealed that household size (p<0.01), non-farm income (p<0.01) and current farm debt (p<0.01) are main factors that exert influence on choice of agroforestry systems and consequently cost of carbon sequestration. The cost estimate of carbon sequestration among households revealed that the lowest cost of carbon sequestration was recorded from boundary planting system of agroforestry. If a total of 55 Mg C is sequestered per hectare per year, carbon would be sold as low as N1, 498.9 ≡$3.9. It was observed that planting trees haphazardly on farm plot will leave carbon sequestration cost at a range of $11.5 and $144. Likewise, hedgerow intercropping will yield a cost range of $63.5 and $38. The study therefore concludes that, boundary planting of trees around farm land provides a low cost of achieving carbon sequestration while addressing unhealthy forest land use among farming households in Nigeria.

Agriculture is central in order to achieve nutrition goals through the provision of food, energy and essential micronutrients for the physical and mental development of humans. Dietary diversity is a good indicator of human food security status. Using a dataset obtained from the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study—Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), this paper examines the linkages between crop diversity and food security (measured as dietary diversity) among farming households in Nigeria using ordinary least squares, Poisson regression, and instrumental variables (IV) Poisson regression to estimate the relationship. In addition, we investigate the determinants that lead to the consumption of each food groups considered for generating dietary diversity using a logit regression model. The results show that food expenditure, asset ownership and location of households are the key factors driving the types of food consumed by the households. Furthermore, increased food expenditure and access to credit were found to positively influence food security. The result established a positive and significant relationship between crop diversity and dietary diversity. Our findings call for more attention to diet diversity, as well as the need to harmonize the roles of rural income improvement, especially through non-farm livelihood diversification in tackling multiple nutritional deficiencies in Nigeria.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of the different components of off-farm income on multi-dimensional poverty. Furthermore, the study aims to measure multi-dimensional poverty and also identify the determinants of multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria. The paper reveals the different contributions of the dimensions of education, health and living standard.Design/methodology/approachThe study focuses on rural farm households in Nigeria. Data are obtained from the Nigeria General Household Survey, 2013. The survey covers both urban and rural areas of the 36 states of Nigeria. Owing to the interest of this study in the rural farm household’s sub-sector, a nationally representative sample of 836 rural farm households are selected for the study after the data merging process. Rural farm households in this paper earn 50 percent of their total income from crop and livestock production. The paper employs the Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to measure multi-dimensional poverty across the six different geographical zones of Nigeria. The probit regression model is used to estimate and analyze the effect of off-farm income components on multi-dimensional poverty and also to identify the determinants of multi-dimensional poverty.FindingsThe results of the study show that among the off-farm income components, the non-farm wage income and non-farm self-employment income have negative association with multi-dimensional poverty. Findings show that multi-dimensional poverty is high in Nigeria with deprivations in health contributing the most. Northern Regions have a higher estimate. Results reveal that sex, age, number of adults, formal credit access, access to extension services and location characteristics are key determinants of multi-dimensional poverty. The MPI for Nigeria averaged 47 percent. Across regions, deprivation in the health dimension contributes about 44 percent to multi-dimensional poverty. Deprivation in living standards contributes 40.5 percent, while deprivation in education contributes 15.5 percent to multi-dimensional poverty.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the nature of the data used, the health indicators (nutrition and child mortality) are absent but proxies are used instead. Future research could introduce gender dimensions.Practical implicationsImproving the involvement of rural farm households in non-farm self-employment sector could improve their livelihoods and prevent migration to urban centers, especially among the youths.Social implicationsImproving the quality of health, education and living standards will lead to lower poverty levels in Nigeria. Farmers can best reduce their multi-dimensional poverty by engaging in more off-farm jobs.Originality/valueThis paper provides information to policy makers on the effect of different components of income from the off-farm sector on multi-dimensional poverty alongside with the determinants of multi-dimensional poverty at a national level for the rural farm households. By using MPI, the contribution of the different dimensions used in computing the MPI across the six geographical regions within the country is revealed. This provides policy makers with more information for development purposes.

PurposeThis paper evaluates the impact of socio and demographic factors on the multidimensional poverty of smallholder arable crop farming households in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachData were drawn from the second wave of the LSMS-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture General Household Survey Panel 2012/2013. The methods adopted in analysing the data were descriptive statistics, Alkire and Foster Method (AFM) and logit regression model.FindingsThe result shows that 84.34% of the households were headed by a male while 80.26% of the respondents were married with a mean household size of seven persons. The multidimensional poverty of arable crop farm households in Nigeria is 0.60, while the adjusted headcount ratio (MPI) is 0.27, with an average intensity of 0.45. We found that deprivation in the dimension of living standard accounted for 45.5% of the overall multidimensional poverty index (MPI). The result of the logistic regression indicates that household location, gender, household size and non-farm income are negatively correlated to poverty. The factors that increase poverty among households are the age of the household head and access to extension services.Originality/valueThe study presents an alternative means of assessing poverty among smallholder arable crop farming households in Nigeria. This study recommends that policymakers should focus more on improving the living standard of arable crop farming households to reduce poverty in rural areas. Similarly, concerted efforts should be made towards providing adequate health care and improved sanitation, supply of electricity and educational training that goes beyond primary education for farming household members.

This study investigated the determinants of poverty among farming households in Nigeria. The study adopted the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) measure of poverty and employed the logit regression model to estimate the effect of the socio-economic variables on poverty among farming households. The results show high incidence of poverty among farming households. Age, size of household, income, and number of farms are major determinants of poverty among farming households. Further, living in the North-east, North-central, South-east, and South-south geo-political zones relative to North-west are major determinants of poverty. The results of marginal effects analysis reinforces the conclusion that the above factors are major determinants of poverty among farming households. Investing in the agricultural sector to reduce poverty should be a matter of priority. Measures aimed at improving both the quality of land and access to inputs could enhance the productivity of farmers. Though poverty is predominant in all the zones, a flexible approach to address the specific challenges of each zone rather than generalized measures could accelerate the pace of sustainable poverty reduction in the rural areas in particular and the country in general. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n2p365

Over the years, poverty has continued to prevail in most countries predominantly in developing nations like Nigeria. The majority of those who live below the poverty line in Nigeria are rural farmers despite their contributions to agriculture. This study, therefore, examined the poverty status of rural farm households in Nigeria. The data used were obtained from the National Survey on Incentivizing the Adoption of Climate-Smart Cereal Production Practices in Nigeria: Socio-Cultural and Economic Diagnosis. The data collection was facilitated by the Economic Committee of the Regional Agricultural and Food Agency of the West African States (ECOWAS RAAF-PASANAO) and the French Development Agency (AFD). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Foster Greer Thorbecke (FGT) poverty indicators, and binomial and multinomial logit regression models. The findings show a high incidence of poverty among farm households in rural areas. The results also showed that growing rice, farm size, household size, dependency ratio, age, and market travel costs are the major determinants with positive impacts on rural households' poverty. Credit, gender, year of schooling, Tropical Livestock Unit, access to power holding company of Nigeria (PHCN), and general hospital had a negative influence on poverty status. Poverty was observed to be more severe in the northern geo-political zones. Based on the above findings, it is proposed that adequate attention be paid to education due to the higher incidence of poverty among low-educated households. Agricultural financing policies aimed at rural farmers should be implemented to raise their living standards and thus, reduce poverty among rural farmers. Policies should take the peculiar features of each geo-political zone into consideration while implementing measures to reduce poverty.