Analysis of factors influencing farmers’ use of indigenous/local climate change adaptation strategies in southern Taraba State, Nigeria

This study examined the factors influencing farmers’ use of indigenous/local climate change adaptation strategies in Southern Taraba State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of farmers and to analyze the factors influencing their adoption of indigenous/local climate change adaptation strategies. Primary data were collected from 343 farmers using structured questionnaires, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the socio-economic characteristics of farmers, while binary logistic regression was employed to identify determinants of indigenous strategy adoption. The results show that the majority of respondents were male (63.27%), married (60.64%), and had an average farming experience of 9 years. Eight factors were found to significantly influence adoption: age, farming experience, educational level, cooperative membership, access to extension services, access to climate information, perceived effectiveness of indigenous practices, and access to credit. The study concludes that indigenous knowledge remains a vital component of climate resilience but requires supportive institutional and financial frameworks to enhance its effectiveness. Policy interventions should strengthen extension services, promote cooperative societies, improve access to credit, and integrate indigenous knowledge into formal agricultural and climate adaptation programmes. These measures will enhance farmers’ adaptive capacity, preserve valuable local knowledge, and contribute to sustainable agricultural productivity in the face of climate change.