Demographic Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Agripreneurship Practices Among Smallholder Maize Farmers In Niger State, Nigeira

Abstract

The adoption of agripreneurship practices has emerged as an important pathway for enhancing agricultural productivity, profitability, and livelihood outcomes among smallholder farmers. However, adoption levels remain uneven, partly due to variations in farmers' demographic characteristics. This study explored the demographic factors influencing the adoption of agripreneurship practices among smallholder maize farmers in Niger State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the influence of age, gender, marital status, household size, educational level, and farming experience on farmers' adoption behaviour. The study adopted a qualitative research design using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to obtain in-depth insights into farmers' experiences and perceptions. A total of 50 smallholder maize farmers were purposively selected from the three senatorial districts of Niger State. Data were collected during the 2024 farming season and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. To ensure the credibility and dependability of the findings, inter-coder reliability was assessed using Percentage Agreement and Cohen's Kappa statistics. The findings revealed that demographic characteristics play a significant role in shaping agripreneurship adoption. Younger farmers were generally more receptive to innovation and risk-taking, while older farmers relied more on established farming practices. Gender influenced access to land, finance, and productive resources. Marital status affected household decision-making and investment behaviour, while household size influenced labour availability for farm operations. Educational attainment enhanced innovation awareness, entrepreneurial orientation, and managerial competence, whereas farming experience strengthened adaptive capacity, problem-solving ability, and risk management. The study concludes that agripreneurship adoption is strongly influenced by demographic factors that shape farmers' access to resources, knowledge, labour, and decision-making opportunities. The study recommends that agripreneurship interventions, extension programmes, and agricultural policies should be tailored to farmers' demographic characteristics to promote inclusive and sustainable adoption among smallholder maize farmers in Nigeria.