Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) and Farmers’ Fertilizer Use in Rural Nigeria

Joseph Uduji (), Elda Okolo-Obasi () and Simplice Asongu
Additional contact information
Joseph Uduji: University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
Elda Okolo-Obasi: University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

No 19/055, Working Papers from European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS)

Abstract: Fertilizer use in Nigeria is estimated at 13 kg/ha, which is far below the 200 kg/ha recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The objective of this investigation was to identify the determinant factors of farmers’ participation in the Nigeria’s growth enhancement support scheme (GESS). In addition, we determined the impact of the GESS on fertilizer use in rural areas. One thousand, two hundred rural farmers were sampled across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Results from the use of recursive bivariate probit model indicated that GESS significantly impacted on the access and usage of fertilizer among the rural farmers; and that contact with extension agents, ownership of mobile phones, power for charging phone batteries, value output, mobile network coverage, ability to read and write were positive determinants of rural farmers participation in the GESS; whereas increased distance to registration and collection centers, and cultural constraints to married women reduced farmers’ tendency to participate in the GESS. The findings suggest that farmers’ participation in the GESS is a critical factor for raising fertilizer use in Nigeria. This implies that food security in sub-Saharan Africa can be achieved by increasing the participation of rural farmers in the growth enhancement support scheme.

Keywords: Growth Enhancement Support Scheme; Fertilizer Use; Rural Farmers; Recursive Bivariate Probit Model; Nigeria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N27 O13 Q1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25
Date: 2019-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-dev
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (27)

Forthcoming: African Development Review

Downloads: (external link)
http://publications.excas.org/RePEc/exs/exs-wpaper ... in-Rural-Nigeria.pdf Revised version, 2019 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) and Farmers’ Fertilizer Use in Rural Nigeria (2019)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:exs:wpaper:19/055

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Anutechia Asongu Simplice ().