Factors influencing the perception and choice of adaptation measures to climate change among farmers in Nigeria. Evidence from farm households in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

There is widespread interest on the impacts of climate change on agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and on the most effective investments to assist farmers strengthen factors influencing their choice of adaptation measures. This study uses the Heckman probit model to analyze the two-step process of adaptation measures to climate change, which initially assesses a farmer’s perception that climate is changing and followed by an examination of the response to this perception in the form of adaptation. Simple purposive random sampling was used to select two states out of six states. Random sampling was used to select Ondo and Oyo States, while communities that are prone to climate change were purposively selected. The study administered questionnaire and held Focus Group Discussions to elicit information, where 350 valid responses were used for further analysis. The dependent variables are adaptations measures adopted by farmers, where the independent variables are those natural, socio-economic, institutional and physical factors influencing the choice of these measures. The analysis indicate that 53.4% of the investigated farmers have observed increasing temperature over the past 10 years whereas 58% have observed that they noticed decreasing rainfall over the past 10 years. Findings from the FGDs conform to secondary data gathered. This analysis show that 64.57% of farmers have adopted one or more of the major adaptation options identified through the research survey. Education of the head of household, livestock ownership and extension for crop and livestock production, availability of credit and temperature are factors influencing choice of adaptation.