The Nigerian Journal of Rural Extension and Development

Land encroachment and coping strategies of smallholder crop farmers in Ilorin east local government area of Kwara state, Nigeria

2026-04-30T19:55:31+00:00

Over the years, a noticeable decline in land availability for agricultural purposes has unfolded, driven by factors such as urbanisation, population growth and industrial development. This study examined the land encroachment and coping strategies of smallholder crop farmers in Ilorin East Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 139 smallholder crop farmers were selected for this study. The data was obtained with a structured interview schedule. The data collected were analysed using frequency count, percentages, mean, standard deviation and paired sample t-test. The findings show that about 46.0% of the farmers had moderate extent of land encroachment, 63.3% of farmers had high livelihood status, and there was a significant reduction in the size of farmland in hectares following encroachment in crops like Yam from a mean size 0.54 to 0.26 (ha), Maize 0.84 to 0.45 (ha), Sorghum 0.48 to 0.23 (ha), Rice 0.54 to 0.27 (ha), and Cassava 0.70 to 0.40 (ha). Land encroachment has effects (p=0.000) on the size of land cultivated for different crops. The study also shows that the key coping strategies employed by the farmers were participating in value-adding activities and advocacy campaigns (91.4%) and engaging in off-farm employment (89.2%). The study concluded that there is a substantial decrease in farm size after land encroachment. The study therefore recommended that farmers should engage in value-adding initiatives in their farming practices in order to earn more income to reduce the effects of land encroachment.

Proclivity to entrepreneurship among agricultural undergraduates in Ondo state, Nigeria

2026-05-01T10:44:27+00:00

Entrepreneurship is one of the economic self-reliance tools for addressing youth unemployment and sustainable agricultural livelihoods in Nigeria. This study examined agricultural undergraduates' proclivity toward agricultural and non-agricultural entrepreneurship in Ondo State. Using a multistage sampling procedure, data were collected from 153 undergraduates through a structured questionnaire. The study reveals that the mean age of respondents was 23.1 +/- 3.4 years, with most being male (51%). Specifically, 51.6% had favourable perceptions of agricultural entrepreneurship, while 58.6% held favourable perceptions of non-agricultural entrepreneurship. The respondents' motivating factors for agricultural entrepreneurship were interest in agricultural technology and innovation (x = 1.66) and desire for independence and self-employment (x = 1.65), while desire for independence and self-employment (x = 1.77) and passion for social impact (x = 1.69) were the motivating factors for non-agribusiness. It was also revealed that 60.1% of the respondents showed high proclivity for agricultural entrepreneurship, while a higher proportion, 69.9%, had high proclivity for non-agricultural entrepreneurship. The t-test result (t = -1.68, p = 0.095) reveals no significant difference between students' proclivity toward agricultural and non-agricultural entrepreneurship. The study concluded that undergraduates exhibit higher proclivity toward non-agricultural ventures, recommending increased institutional support, practical exposure, and incentives to enhance youth engagement in agricultural entrepreneurship.

Agricultural extension strategies for managing post-harvest gluts and commodity price declines in southern Kebbi state, Nigeria

2026-05-01T10:58:41+00:00

This study investigated agricultural extension strategies for managing post-harvest gluts and commodity price drops in Southern Kebbi State, Nigeria, using data from 300 smallholder farmers collected through interview schedule. Descriptive statistics indicate that 78% of respondents had access to extension services, with 54% reporting easy accessibility. Exploratory Factor Analysis on 15 variables extracted five factors explaining 68% of total variance; the most significant factors were inadequate storage (factor loading = 0.82) and poor market information (0.79). Cross-tabulation and Chi-Square tests reveal significant associations between extension strategies and management of post-harvest gluts (chi-square = 32.45, df = 4, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis shows that six extension strategies collectively explained 61.4% of variance in perceived effectiveness (R2 = 0.614, Adjusted R2 = 0.598), with significant predictors including farmer training (? = 0.312), storage support (beta = 0.278), market information (? = 0.235), value addition training (? = 0.145), cooperative linkage (? = 0.198), and extension contact frequency (? = 0.167), all significant at p < 0.05. The study recommends enhancing extension services, strengthening farmer training and cooperatives, and improving storage, market access, and information dissemination to empower smallholder farmers in Southern Kebbi for better post-harvest management and income stability.

Aged cattle rearers in northwest Nigeria and succession planning: Attitudinal analysis

2026-05-01T11:13:12+00:00

The cattle rearing industry in Nigeria is highly traditional and dominated by aged farmers, which has made the sector less productive and limited the adoption of modern technologies. This study was conducted in Northwest Nigeria to assess the aged cattle rearers' attitude towards succession and their willingness to transfer the industry to the next generation. Specifically, the socio-economic characteristics were described, their attitudes toward farm succession were examined, their transfer of farm assets was determined, and the correlates of their attitudes towards succession were established. Two hundred and forty respondents were selected using a multistage sampling procedure. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The results show that most (45.74%) of the respondents were aged 65 and above, with a mean of 67.17 +/- 5.46 years, and most (95.4%) were males. Many (63.3%) respondents had a herd size of at least 100 with an average of 112.32 +/- 106.46 heads. The findings reveal that most (90.8%) respondents had a favourable attitude toward succession. Correlations existed between respondents' attitudes toward farm succession and their age (r = 0.204), household size (r = 0.243), and herd size (r = 0.378). It is recommended, among others, that farm succession issues be legislated.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices among arable crop farmers in Oyo state, Nigeria

2026-05-01T11:23:21+00:00

The study investigated the utilisation of Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAP) by arable crop farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. A total of 152 respondents were sampled using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data and inferential statistics were used to describe the relationship and differences that exist between the variables. Results reveal that majority were male (79.6%), married (82.9%), had secondary education (70.0%) with a mean age of 38.73 years. Also, majority (52.0%) of the respondents had a favourable attitude towards the use of SAPs. Mixed farming (x = 1.47) was the SAP utilised most by the respondents. Level of utilisation of SAPs was low among majority (41.4%) of the respondents. A significant relationship existed between ownership of farmland (chi-square = 16.302, p = 0.000), membership of organisation (chi-square = 121.754, p = 0.000), years of farming experience (r = 0.215, p = 0.008), and the utilisation of SAPs by the respondents. The study concluded that the level of utilisation of SAPs is low and recommended the institutionalisation of digital extension services to enhance outreach to a broader spectrum of farmers on various uses of sustainable agricultural practices.

Bridging research commercialisation gaps in Nigerian universities: Problems and prospects

2026-05-01T11:31:19+00:00

Research generates knowledge, fosters innovation, and offers evidence-based solutions to societal challenges. Unfortunately, in developing countries like Nigeria, research is largely confined to academic publications without real-world or industrial applications. The study explored the key problems hindering effective research commercialisation in Nigerian universities, the factors contributing to these gaps, and the prospects for addressing them. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 120 university researchers selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data analysis was performed using frequency count, percentage, standard deviation and analysis of variance. The results indicated that 15% of the researchers had conducted up to 10 research projects within the last five years; however, none had succeeded in commercialising any of their outputs. The major factors contributing to this gap were lack of knowledge of commercialisation processes (40%), inadequate funding (13.3%), and limited institutional support (5%). A considerable commercialisation literacy deficit was also identified, as 45% of the researchers were unaware of whether their institution had an intellectual property (IP) policy, while 85% of those with access to such policies had never read them. Although the R4i training was described as impactful, only 1.7% of respondents reported initiating any commercialisation effort after the training. The study concludes that research commercialisation efforts in Nigerian universities remain low and recommends mainstreaming research commercialisation modules into research objectives.

Vol. 18 No. 1 (2026): NJRED

2026-05-01T11:36:56+00:00

Abstract