Emerging and Indigenous Technologies
for Climate Change Adaptation in theFarming Systems of Southwest Nigeria:
Issues for Policy Action
African Technology Policy Studies Network

TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF | No. 27
K. Adebayo
T. O. Dauda
L. S. Rikko
F. O. A. George
O. S. Fashola
J. J. Atungwu
S. O. Iposu
A. O. Shobowale
O. B. Osuntade

Emerging and Indigenous Technologies forClimate Change Adaptation in the Farming
Systems of Southwest Nigeria:
Issues for Policy Action

K. Adebayo
University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta, Nigeria

O. S. Fashola
Ministry of Agriculture,
Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Nigeria

T. O. Dauda
Institute of Agricultural Researchand Training, Ibadan, Nigeria

J. J. Atungwu
University of Agriculture,Abeokuta, Nigeria

L. S. Rikko
University of Jos,Jos, Nigeria

S. O. Iposu
University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta, Nigeria

F. O. A. George
University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta, Nigeria

A. O. Shobowale
Livelihoods Support and Development
Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria

O. B. Osuntade
Livelihoods Support and Development
Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.
Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network
P O Box 10081, 00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya
2011

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN: 978-9966-030-04-7

Table of ContentsAcknowledgement

4Introduction

5Key Findings

6Lessons Learnt to Inform Policy Action

10Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action | 3

Acknowledgement
This policy brief was produced as part of the implementation of the African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS) Phase VI Strategic Plan, 2008 – 2012 funded by ATPS Donors including theMinisterie van Buitenlandse Zaken (DGIS) the Netherlands, Rockefeller Foundation, amongst
others. The authors hereby thank the ATPS for the financial and technical support during theimplementation of the program. The Authors particularly thank the ATPS Climate Sense Program
Director, Dr. Kevin Urama (ATPS); and the Program Coordinators including Prof. Francis Mutua(ATPS Kenya); Dr. George Essegbey (ATPS Ghana), Prof. Eric Eboh (ATPS Nigeria), Dr. Nicholas
Ozor (ATPS), and Ms. Wairimu Mwangi (ATPS) for their technical support during the researchprocess.

4 | Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action

Introduction
Changes in climate can be expected to have significant impacts on farm yieldsand product quality as a result of changes in temperatures, moisture, air and soil.
There is however no universally applicable measure for adapting agriculture toclimate change, hence managers in the agricultural industry should havesufficient flexibility to deploy the adaptation measures most appropriate for theirlocal situations. This paper is a product of the strategic objective of the African
Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) Climate Sense Program that uses the results ofa survey of technological and farming systems adaptation to climate change topropose four key policy coordinates for addressing adaptation to climate change
in the farming systems of southwest Nigeria. These are:1. the need for facilitating attitudinal change among key stakeholders in theagricultural sector
2. the importance of raising awareness and training for early career researchers
on climate change
3. the fact that climate change adaptation strategies need to be location specificand
4. the need for facilitating exchange of climate change information throughappropriate combination of media
As such, this document:
1. highlights the importance of addressing climate change challenges and theneed for adaptation technologies for farming systems in Southwest Nigeria
2. examines the issues arising from key stakeholder perspectives ( farmers,extension workers and researchers) and3. presents the policy implications and issues for policy action for addressing
adaptation to climate change in the farming systems of southwest Nigeria

Stakeholder Perspectives on Emerging andIndigenous Technologies for Climate Change
Adaptation
Farmers' Perspectives
Crop production is the dominant agricultural enterprise that farmers in southwest
Nigeria engage in. It is practiced by over 90% in the savanna and rainforest zone,
but only 37.82% in the swamp regions where the primary agricultural enterprise is
Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action | 5

fishing/fish farming. Even though farming is the commonest primary occupation,
2.44% engage in charcoal production as their primary occupation in the savannazone. The major environmental issues of charcoal production are deforestationand loss of biodiversity. The consequences of these are increased incidence ofwind erosion, higher rates of flooding during the raining season, excessive
environmental heat regimes. This is more worrying as an additional 10.57% of thefarmers in the same zone engage in charcoal production as a secondary
occupation.
There is a high level of climate awareness among farmers (more than 90%) insouthwest Nigeria. Their main sources of information about climate change are
personal observation, personal contacts, family and friends as well as radio andtelevision. It should be of concern however that only 3.36% of the farmers in theswamp zone and not anywhere else recognize government agencies, research
institutes and extension agencies as their sources of information about climatechange phenomena.
Location (agro-ecological zone) remains the significant variable in indicating thevariability in the farmers' observation of changes in the key climate change
indicators (temperature, rainfall and wind). Most of the farmers (65.75%) opinethat farming activities such as bush burning, use of agro-chemicals anddeforestation contribute to climate change. Coping with climate change had
therefore become essential part of farmer's life in southwest Nigeria. However,
52.9% of the farmers in the savanna zone have not yet adopted any strategy ortechnology to cope with climate change. The main coping strategy adopted by
87% of the farmers in the swamp zone is the construction of drainages. In therainforest and savanna agro-ecological zones, 48.3% and 16.3% of the farmers
respectively are coping with water shortage for farming activities by adopting
small-scale irrigation systems. In the traditional farming systems of southwest
Nigeria, fadama farming is new and is mainly adopted as response to changing
climatic conditions. Fadama farming became more popular in southwest Nigeria
in the 1990s when the National Fadama Development Project (NFDP) popularly
called FADMA Project was introduced as a major instrument for achieving thegovernment's poverty reduction objective in the rural areas of Nigeria.
The main constraints faced by farmers implementing adaption strategies toclimate change in the swamp zone are poverty (84.78%) and lack of awareness6 | Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action

(72.27%). In the rainforest, the high cost of implementing adaption strategies isthe major constraint to adoption.
Extension Officers' Perspectives
Majority of the extension officers have observed climate change phenomena in all
there three agro-ecological zones (swamp (94%), rainforest (89%) savanna(79%)) of southwest Nigeria. Their main sources of information about climatechange are personal observation (74.4%), radio (45.6%) and television (37.6%). It
is noteworthy that less than 20% mentioned research institutes and government
agencies as their sources of information. This finding may suggest an information
gap between researchers and extension officers or perhaps a reflection of thedearth of research on climate change in southwest Nigeria.
Majority of the extension officers (about 90%, except in the rainforest where it is61%) have observed higher environmental temperatures in southwest Nigeria.
Similarly, more than 80% of the extension officers in the swamp and savanna
agro-ecological zones concur that rainfall volumes have been lower. Only 55% of
the officers in the rainforest appear convinced that rainfall volumes have beenlower. Finally, except in the savanna agro-ecology, there is no clear-cut opinion
among extension officers as to their observation of wind variability. Unlike
farmers, extension officers' observation of general climate change phenomena isindependent of location. It is however a significant factor in extension officers'
observation of changes in specific climate changes indicators (temperature,rainfall and wind).
Most of the extension officers opine that the causes of climate change insouthwest Nigeria are: transportation (88%), industrial activities (86%) andfarming activities (82%). The main strategies and technologies promoted byextension officers for farmers to cope with the effects of climate change insouthwest Nigeria are: tree planting (30%), timely planting of crops (6%) andavoidance of bush burning (6%) in the swamp zone. In the rainforest zone, it isprovision of small scale irrigation (25%), mulching (16.7%) especially on yam
farms, and avoidance of felling trees (8.3%). In the savanna zone the main coping
strategies and technologies promoted are: avoidance of tree felling (25.6%),
avoidance of bush burning (23.1), small scale irrigation (5.15) and studying
weather condition before planting crops (5.1%). It noteworthy however that 88%of the extension officers in the swamp zone and 62% of the officers in theEmerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action | 7

rainforest opine that farmers response to the coping strategies and technologies
have been positive. Conversely, half of the extension officers in the savanna agroecological zone opine that most farmers have been indifferent to the copingstrategies and technologies they have promoted. The reason for this perceived
poor farmers' response to extension messages require further investigation as
only 5.6% of the extension officer sees farmers' refusal to adopt extension
message as a key constraint to implementing climate change adaptation
strategies.
Researchers' Perspectives
Only 14 researchers were found whose work is relevant to climate change after an
extensive search of all the agricultural research institutes and universities with
agricultural faculties in southwest Nigeria. Six of the 14 researchers hold a M.Sc.,
one had an M.Phil. and 5 hold PhDs in their respective fields. The minimum
number of years on the job as a researcher spent by any of them is 1.5years while
the maximum is 30 years. Half of them have spent less than 5 years on the job. In
terms of the agricultural enterprises on which their research is focused, 9 of themwork on crop production related enterprises, 6 work on tree cropping and forestry
related issues, 4 carry out their research on fishing and fish farming, and carryout their research on livestock enterprises. Three of them are agriculturaleconomists; two each are fisheries and soil scientist while other areas of
specialisation such as agro-metrology, animal science, crop management,entomology, forest ecology and conservation, forestry and wildlife as well as
plant pathology are represented by one respondent each. This may be anindication of the overall dearth of climate related researchers in Africa. It may also
reflect the fact that the relevance of the influence of climate change issues tovarious areas of specialisation in agriculture is only beginning to gain ground insouthwest Nigeria despite the predominance of agricultural research institutes
and higher institutions of learning offering courses in agriculture and relatedfields. All of them have noticed climate change phenomena in their vicinity. Unlike
farmers and extension officers, researchers rely on external sources such as theinternet, television, research institutes and radio for information on climatechange.

8 | Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action

Conclusion and Policy Options
Need for attitudinal change among key stakeholders
Attitudes have strong influences on peoples' decision-making. It is important
therefore to further explore how farmer's attitude to climate change influences
their response to the uptake of climate change adaptation technologies. It should
also reveal how their attitude could be positively influenced to attain higher levelsof adoption of climate change technologies and improve that overall ability tomake conscious and responsive decisions to climate change.
There is a general conviction among farmers, extension officers and researchersthat crops and forests management technologies are the main tools for adapting
to climate change. It is noteworthy however that adapting to climate change is as
much a technology issues as an attitudinal one. This study have shown thatunless peoples' general attitudes to climate change issues are altered, thedecision to adopt relevant adaptation techniques (emerging or indigenous will
follow a very slow path.
Raising awareness and training for early career researchers on climate change
The number of researchers working on climate change related issue is few insouthwest Nigeria. There is a need to consciously raise awareness of climatechange issues in the shot-run among early career researchers and in the long run
a deliberate campaign in schools and universities to focus young minds into
investigative enquiries on the climate and how best society should adapt aschange occur that are most often irreversible.
Even though farmers, extension officers and researchers appear to have very
high levels of awareness of changes in climate change phenomena, there
sources information differ markedly from personal contacts among farmers to a
bit of personal contact and mediated sources such as radio and television among
extension officers and to internets and other non-personal and external sourcesamong researchers. It is also noteworthy that many farmers and extension
officers did not consider research institutes and government agencies ad theirmain sources of information on climate change adaption. This finding suggeststhat media campaigns designed to reach farmers, extension officers andresearchers need to be audience specific.

Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action | 9

The power of the school system to unleash societal change have been
demonstrated in the 1960s when the government of Western Nigeria used theschool systems under its Free education System as the fulcrum of social change.
This potential of the school system is recognised and used in a haphazard
manner in very small pilot level projects such as PATTIN. A bolder approachsimilar to the social change approach of the 1960s is required to fully utilize theschool system to promote a more lasting climate sense in southwest Nigeria. Thisshould be done with conscious investments in research to fully understand thechanges that the school system have undergone over the years and how it can bebest used as a long term climate change response system at all levels (farmingextension services, research, inputs delivery and other ancillary requirements).
Climate change adaptation strategies need to be location specific
The influence of location (agro-ecological zones) on the observation of climatechange phenomena by farmers and extension officers is staggering. While
farmers in the swamp and rainforest appear to have a basket of emerging andindigenous technologies to cope with climate change, farmers in the savannazone seem to be on the back-bench. Unfortunately, the most vivid climate change
impact for visitor to southwest Nigeria, especially in the transition zones between
agro-ecological zones is that as rainforests become savanna-like (derivedsavanna), savannas becomes desert-like (desert encroachment). It is important
therefore that a location specific strategies need to be developed to raise theprofile of climate change awareness and the urge to adopt emerging andindigenous technologies to cope with climate change in the various agroecological zones.
Furthermore, given that farmers in this zone earn less from their primaryoccupation (farming) than in the other two agro-ecological zones, it can beconcluded that financial limitations as a key constraint to adopting emerging andindigenous technologies for climate change adaption at least in the savannazone of southwest Nigeria. But it is not enough to throw money at problems. A
deliberate attempt at raising farm productivities and improving return to farming
as a business would help in the long-run to facilitate uptake of relevant climatechange adaption strategies.

10 | Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action

The major technologies adopted by farmers to adapt to climate change as
expectedly agro-ecology specific. Construction of drainages is popular in theswamp zone. Small scale irrigation, mulching and IPM are common in therainforest and afforestation is the leader in the savanna. While fitting technologies
to location could address climate change in the short run, the fact that theobservable change is continuous suggests that farmers need to be empoweredwith a range of technologies that may not be applicable to their agro-ecology
toady in anticipation of future changes and therefore ability to cope when suchchanges eventually manifests. The farmers who will be better able to cope arethose who already know what to do when the change actually manifests, notthose who wait to be informed after the change is manifest. Therefore efforts toimprove the general levels of formal educational attainments among farmers andimprove their ability to obtain information from more external and wide-ranging
sources than personal circles will contribute in this direction.
Facilitating exchange of climate change information through appropriate
combination of media
Farmer-Extensioner-Researcher linkage models as encapsulated in theResearch-Extension-Farmer-Inputs Linkage System (REFILS) has been used insouthwest Nigeria to promote the uptake of technologies targeted at improving
the productivity of arable crops. Similar models can be used to develop farmer's
response system to adopting appropriate and responsive climate change
adaptation systems. Investigations to make this happen are required to properly
focus research investments and direct the attention of the research community
currently engrossed in yield-increasing models to more sustainable climate
sense approaches to agricultural production.

Emerging and Indigenous Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Farming Systems of Southwest Nigeria: Issues for Policy Action | 11

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.

African Technology
Policy Studies Network
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P O Box 10081, 00100-Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254 020) 2714092, 2714168,2714498, 2723800
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Science, Technology and Innovation
for African Development

ISBN: 978-9966-030-04-7