Climate Change Adaptation Strategies among Smallholder Farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change poses significant challenges to smallholder farmers whose agricultural activities depend largely on climatic conditions. This study examined climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, with emphasis on the strategies adopted and factors influencing their adoption. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and 384 questionnaires were administered to selected smallholder farmers using a multistage sampling technique. A total of 370 questionnaires were retrieved, representing a 96.4% response rate. Data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while information from key informant interviews was used to complement the quantitative findings. The major finding revealed that crop diversification and livelihood diversification were the most commonly adopted adaptation strategies, each reported by 14% of respondents, while irrigation/water harvesting and soil and water conservation recorded only 5% each. The study also found that farming experience and farm size were the leading factors influencing adaptation. The study recommends that smallholder farmers should broaden their adoption of climate change adaptation strategies, while the Nasarawa State Government and relevant agricultural agencies should provide extension training, improved farm inputs, irrigation facilities and affordable climate-smart technologies to enhance farmers' adaptive capacity.