Farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies in northern Nigeria: an empirical assessment

This study examines farmer's perception of the causes, constraints and strategies towards effective climate change adaptation in northern Nigeria. Data were collected from 500 respondents using both qualitative and quantitative approaches through a multistage random sampling technique. The study results show that the respondents were informed of the incidence of climate change as regards uncertainties in terms of higher temperatures, unpredictability of rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and increased farming problems such as loss of soil fertility. Respondents perceived the causes of climate change as bush burning, continuous cropping, deforestation and excess chemical use on farms. Adaptive strategies included: multiple cropping, use of resistant varieties, processing to minimise post harvest loss and reforestation. Constraints to adaptation included: lack of financial resources, lack of access to weather forecasts, and limited access to improved crop varieties.