Assessing Socio-Economic Drivers in the Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Nigeria’s Great Green Wall Frontline States

This research evaluated the socio-economic factors that affect the uptake of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices in the frontline states of Nigeria along the Great Green Wall (GGW). A mixed-method approach was utilized, incorporating survey data from 480 households across the states of Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa, supplemented with key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics, logit regression analysis, and hypothesis testing were employed to investigate the impact of education, land size, income, access to extension services, and credit on adoption behaviors. The findings revealed that farmers with higher education levels, larger farmland, and improved access to extension services were notably more inclined to adopt SLM practices such as agroforestry, terracing, crop rotation, and organic soil amendments. In contrast, challenges such as insufficient credit, limited institutional support, and socio-cultural obstacles were recognized as impediments. The results are consistent with the Diffusion of Innovation and Sustainable Livelihoods Theories, emphasizing the role of knowledge access, social networks, and resource availability in adoption decisions. Policy recommendations indicate that enhancing extension services, improving access to rural credit, and customizing interventions to reflect local socio-economic conditions are essential for promoting SLM practices within the GGW zone. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on climate resilience and sustainable agriculture in the West African drylands.