SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATIONAMONG MAIZE FARMERS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of livelihood diversification on income security among smallholder maize farmers
in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Specifically, it described farmers’ socio-economic characteristics, examined factors
influencing diversification, assessed the level of diversification, and determined the relationship between
diversification and household income. Data were collected from 213 maize-farming households using structured
questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics, the Livelihood Diversification Index (LDI), logit
regression, and OLS regression. Results showed that maize farming is predominantly male (73.8%), middle-aged
(mean 45.01 years), married (83.2%), and educated (58.8% with tertiary education), with an average household
size of 7.08 persons. The mean total farm size was 4.09 hectares, and maize farm size averaged 2.25 hectares,
with 53.3% producing more than 50 bags. Logit regression revealed that education, household size, total farm
size, and access to credit significantly increased the likelihood of diversification, with odds ratios of 1.122, 1.054,
1.161, and 1.816, respectively. Among the 107 diversified farmers, the mean LDI was 0.899, with 37.4% and
28.0% classified as highly and very highly diversified, respectively. OLS regression showed that participation in
non-farm activities (β = 0.325, p < 0.01) and higher LDI scores (β = 0.298, p < 0.01) significantly enhanced
household income (mean ₦193,874). In conclusion, livelihood diversification, supported by education, farm
resources, and access to credit, improves income security. Therefore, agencies should promote non-farm
opportunities, expand financial services, and support household-level diversification strategies to strengthen rural
livelihoods.