Seed certification and maize, rice and cowpea productivity in Nigeria: An insight based on nationally representative farm household data and seed company location data

Despite the potential importance of seed quality to agricultural productivity growth, many governments in sub-Saharan Africa lack the capacity to expand quality assurance systems even where there is expressed interest. This study aims to evidence the value of quality assurance systems with an analysis of efforts to produce and distribute certified seed in Nigeria. We assess the associations between quantities of certified seeds produced and spatial variations in production locations proxied by headquarter locations of seed companies producing certified seeds, on the one hand, with spatial variations in the use of certified seed, yields, and output at the farm level, on the other hand. Our analysis covers three crops that are important to food security in Nigeria: maize, rice, and cowpea. Our analysis integrates information on seed quantities produced and locations of seed companies with nationally representative panel data from a survey of farm households and spatially explicit rainfall and temperature data. We find a positive relationship between certified seed production in proximity to farm households and farm-level use of certified seeds, yields, and output, although this effect is diminishing at the margin. These diminishing marginal effects may be partly due to two factors. First, the yield gains from certified seeds tend to vary considerably within each state, suggesting that either quality issues persist in the seed supply chain or farmers are not using complementary inputs or appropriate management techniques when using quality seed. Second, it may be that as certified seed becomes more available to farmers, its use spreads from higher-return farms to lower-return farms, thereby diminishing the gains on the extensive margin. Although more rigorous assessments of causal effects and cost-effectiveness are needed to validate these findings, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that there are diminishing returns to seed quality assurance. Policymakers, regulators, and seed providers may benefit from identifying optimal, crop-specific target quantities or rates for certified seed production rather than aiming for certification of all seed produced in a market

Land tenure security and preferences to dispute resolution pathways among landholders in Nigeria

PRIFPRI3; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; 5 Strengthening Institutions and Governance; ISIDSG

Determinants of change and household responses to food insecurity: Empirical evidence from Nigeria

PRIFPRI3; NSSPDSG

Tractor owner-operators in Nigeria: Insights from a small survey in Kaduna and Nasarawa states

This paper presents results of a small survey of tractor owner-operators conducted in Kaduna and Nasarawa states in Nigeria. Following are the key findings from simple descriptive statistics: (1) owner-operators who buy tractors from the private market or from private individuals are more efficient than those who receive tractors through government programs, providing services to a greater area at lower costs, including during the off-peak season; (2) providing access to a wider range of tractor horsepowers may improve efficiency over diverse soil types; (3) similar to some Asian countries in the 1980s, tractor operations are mostly concentrated in interviewees’ local home districts, though a fraction form groups and serve in distant locations to earn greater revenues.Non-PRIFPRI1; Theme 6; Subtheme 6.2; D.1 Agriculture's role in national development strategy; CRP2; NSSPDSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

Insights from Nigeria

PRIFPRI3; ISI; NSSP; CRP2; D Transforming Agriculture; Capacity StrengtheningDSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

Tenure security and demand for land tenure regularization in Nigeria: Empirical evidence from Ondo and Kano states

The objectives of the research described in this report are to: provide general field information on physical, social, and institutional conditions in the pilot areas Kano and Ondo states that can be used to assess existing land tenure policy in Nigeria; assess the differentiated effect of existing land laws and practices on men and women in terms of access to, control over, and distribution of land by collecting gender-disaggregated data; contribute to better understanding of the magnitude, scope, and severity of tenure insecurity in the context of existing land laws and land policies; assess the efficiency of land-administration related service delivery by the public sector (e.g., dispute resolu-tion mechanisms).Non-PRIFPRI1; NSSP; CRP2DSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

Child nutritional status, welfare and health in Nigerian households

The study attempts to provide insights into the relationships among child nutritional status, welfare and health among households and how these have evolved in Nigeria using the 2003, 2008, and 2013 children recode data of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) for Nigeria. We proxy welfare by using the wealth index of the DHS that captures wealth over time. Descriptive statistics and multilevel mixed-effects probit analysis were used to ascertain the linkages among child nutritional status, wealth, and health. The descriptive results show that malnutrition among under-5 children varies across the different wealth index levels with 50% and 35% of the children under-5 in the bottom two quintiles of the wealth index stunted and underweight, respectively. Results of the mixed-effects probit model also show that a child from a household with lower welfare is more likely to be malnourished. Our results also show that between 2003 and 2013, there has been no significant change in the wealth index levels between the richest and the poorest households. The study concludes that a household welfare level that is above average motivates increased nutritional levels among women and children in households and reduces the incidence of disease. Policies and practices that would increase the welfare of households would also have impacts on the nutritional status of households, especially those in the northern parts of Nigeria.Non-PRIFPRI1; NSSP; CRP2; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for allDSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

Some evidence from Nigeria

This report summarizes the typology of farm households and irrigators in Nigeria. We apply a cluster analysis method to the Living Standard Measurement Survey (LSMS)—Integrated Survey on Agriculture data and various secondary data. We also compare the costs and inputs used across different irrigation crops, as reported in Nigeria. Findings indicate that the three major irrigation systems in Nigeria are (1) labor-intensive diverted stream irrigation of rice, (2) supplementary irrigation of coarse grains and legumes using groundwater, and (3) dry season irrigation of vegetables.Non-PRIFPRI1; Theme 6; Subtheme 6.2; GRP32; NSSPDSG