Impacts of agricultural interventions and projects (2005-2025) on agribusiness participation and income-generating ability of farmers in Nigeria.

Abstract

Despite numerous programs implemented in Nigeria in the past, questions remain regarding their effectiveness in enhancing farmers’ agribusiness participation (ABP) and income-generating capacity (IGC). This study assessed interventions for 2005-2025 period on ABP and IGC in twelve states of Nigeria. Data from 1,544 farmers, collected with structured questionnaire, were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordered logit model. The results show that participation contributed to improvements in farmers’ livelihoods, i.e., 42.12% reported improved livelihood, while 30.36% indicated very substantial improvements in food security, housing, education, healthcare, and social obligations. Regarding IGC, above 62% reported high capacity, suggesting that most interventions contributed to improved economic outcomes. Training and input support were the most common forms of assistance received by farmers, while credit facilities, grants, and machinery support were less prevalent. However, the regression results are at variance with much of the claims above, revealing that years of formal education, age, and access to no extension services positively influenced IGC, while high dependence on other income sources and limited access to affordable credit were negative. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of agricultural interventions in Nigeria is less constrained by their design and more by weaknesses in complementary institutions, particularly credit delivery, extension services, and technology implementation frameworks. Therefore, agricultural interventions will not improve farmers’ income unless they are supported by functional systems for skills development, effective credit utilization, contextual technology adoption framework, and high-quality extension services.