Role of credit access, improved varieties, and gender dynamics in commercialization of cassava seeds in Nigeria
Cassava seed entrepreneurship is critical for strengthening seed systems and advancing agricultural transformation in Nigeria. This study examines the determinants of smallholder participation in cassava seed entrepreneurship and simulates the effects of targeted policy interventions using survey data from 993 cassava farmers in Benue State. The analysis applies a binary logit framework with counterfactual scenario simulations and production-regime, specific estimations to account for heterogeneity between low- and high-productivity environments, alongside additional robustness checks. The results show that access to credit (dy/dx = 13.2%, p <0.01), adoption of improved cassava varieties (dy/dx = 14.3%, p < 0.01), use of an area-calculation mobile application (dy/dx = 7.1%, p < 0.05), and access to extension services (dy/dx = 5.2%, p < 0.05) significantly increase the likelihood of participation in cassava seed entrepreneurship. Gender-disaggregated analysis indicates that male farmers have a modest but meaningful advantage (β = 0.92, dy/dx = 5.8%), reflecting differential access to productive resources and institutional support. The production-regime analysis reveals important structural differences in participation drivers. In low-productivity environments, participation is primarily constrained by financial capital, with credit access emerging as the dominant determinant. In contrast, in high-productivity environments, participation is more strongly influenced by technological complementarities, particularly adoption of improved varieties, digital decision-support tools, and extension services that enhance productivity and market coordination. These findings highlight that entrepreneurial engagement is context-dependent rather than uniform across farming systems. Policy simulations further indicate that the joint provision of credit and improved varieties could increase participation probabilities by 36.1 percentage points for men, 32.0 percentage points for youth (≤35 years), and 25.8 percentage points for women, demonstrating substantial untapped entrepreneurial potential among women and youth if structural barriers are relaxed. As part of the robustness analysis, conflict exposure, used as a proxy for local political instability, shows a positive and statistically significant association with participation, suggesting that farmers in conflict-affected environments may adopt cassava seed entrepreneurship as a resilience or income-diversification strategy. Consistency across alternative specifications confirms that institutional access, technological adoption, and productive capacity remain more decisive for participation than most demographic characteristics. Overall, the study underscores the need for gender and youth-responsive policies that integrate financial inclusion, technological support, institutional strengthening, context-sensitive interventions as well as attention to productivity regimes and local security conditions, to promote inclusive and resilient cassava seed systems in Nigeria.
Authors
Abioye, D.O.; Yami, M.; Fillipi, V.; Omitoyin, S.; Ogunniyi, A.I.; Popoola, Olufemi; Fadare, D.A.; Olorode, B.; Adeyeye, J.; Sore, S.Z.; Atser, R.; Atser, G.; Sanni, L.; Popoola, B.; Shaibu, A.; Nwilene, F.; Akande, A.
Citation
Abioye, D.O., Yami, M., Fillipi, V., Omitoyin, S., Ogunniyi, A.I., Olufemi, A.P., … & Akande, A. (2026). Role of credit access, improved varieties, and gender dynamics in commercialization of cassava seeds in Nigeria. World Development Perspectives, 42, 100789, 1-16.
Keywords
Africa; Western Africa; Financial Inclusion; Smallholders; Cassava; Seed; Farmers; Entrepreneurship; Productivity; Youth
Record type
Journal Article
