Extension Communication and Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Zaria, Nigeria
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Abstract
The persistently low adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices in Zaria highlights a critical communication gap, raising concerns about how extension strategies influence farmers’ awareness, trust, and uptake of innovations under climate change. This study, conducted in Zaria, Kaduna State, focused on registered smallholder maize farmers under the Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency (KADA). A descriptive survey design was employed, with 500 respondents selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were gathered using structured questionnaires and key informant interviews (KIIs) with extension officers, and instrument reliability was confirmed (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.82). Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and guided by Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory (2003). The findings revealed that the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder maize farmers in Zaria LGA is influenced by gender, age, education, experience, and farm size, highlighting the need for inclusive and tailored extension strategies that engage both men and women. The study also revealed that a multi-channel extension strategy combining interpersonal visits, group engagements, and mass-media tools effectively promotes adoption, with interactive methods needed to address limitations such as low digital literacy and network constraints. The study concludes that the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder maize farmers in Zaria LGA is shaped by demographic factors and extension strategies, underscoring the need for inclusive, multi-channel, and participatory approaches that integrate interpersonal, group-based, and mass-media methods to build trust, enhance learning, and overcome barriers such as low digital literacy and network limitations. The study recommends adopting a multi-channel extension approach that combines interpersonal visits, group-based engagements, and mass-media or digital tools, while ensuring interactive and participatory methods to build trust, facilitate peer learning, and address barriers such as low digital literacy and network constraints.
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