Enhancing Food Security Through Agripreneurship: Evidence From Smalholder Maize Farmers In Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Agripreneurship is increasingly recognized as a pathway for improving agricultural productivity, livelihoods, and food security among smallholder farmers. However, empirical evidence on how entrepreneurial farming practices contribute to food security remains limited in Nigeria. This study examined the role of agripreneurship practices in enhancing food security among smallholder maize farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Specifically, it assessed the extent to which improved seed varieties, post-harvest management, market-oriented farming, financial management and record keeping, and agricultural training and extension services contribute to food security. The study was anchored in the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theories.

A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 500 registered smallholder maize farmers selected through a multistage sampling procedure from the Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAGPAMAN). Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to assess the measurement model and test the hypothesized relationship between agripreneurship practices and food security.

The results revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant effect of agripreneurship practices on food security (β = 0.961, p < 0.001). The findings demonstrated that the integrated adoption of improved seed varieties, effective post-harvest management, market-oriented farming, financial management and record keeping, and agricultural training and extension services substantially enhances farmers' food security. The magnitude of the standardized coefficient further indicated that agripreneurship practices constitute a critical pathway through which smallholder farming can improve food availability, accessibility, and utilization.

The study concluded that agripreneurship provides a significant pathway for strengthening food security among smallholder maize farming households in Niger State. It recommended coordinated policies that expand access to agricultural innovations, strengthen extension and entrepreneurial capacity, improve market and post-harvest systems, and enhance farmers' financial capabilities to promote resilient and sustainable food systems in Nigeria.