Effects of changing climate on livelihood option of farmers in south east Nigeria

Abstract:

Climate change has increasingly altered the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across Nigeria, with Southeast Nigeria being among the most affected regions. This study assessed the effects of changing climate on the livelihood options of farmers in the region. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 360 respondents across three states Anambra, Abia, and Ebonyi. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and interview schedules, while secondary climatic data (2001–2020) were sourced from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and relevant research institutes. Data were analyzed using multinomial logit regression and principal component factor analysis. The results revealed that climatic variables such as increased temperature, rainfall variability, drought frequency, flooding, and pest outbreaks significantly influenced farmers’ choice of livelihood options. The Nagelkerke R² value of 0.602 and a significant Chi-square (p< 0.01) indicated a strong relationship between climate variability and livelihood diversification. Farmers increasingly engaged in non-farm enterprises such as petty trading, agro-processing, transportation, and electronic repairs as adaptive strategies. Major constraints to livelihood diversification were grouped into environmental, institutional, and economic factors, including declining yields, long distances to financial institutions, inadequate farm inputs, and high credit interest rates. The study concludes that changing climate conditions significantly affect rural livelihoods and calls for strengthened policy support, enhanced access to finance, and improved extension services to build farmers’ adaptive capacity.