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GENDER DYNAMICS IN AGRICULTURAL CREDIT ACCESS: ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN FARMERS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates gendered patterns in agricultural credit accessibility and their socioeconomic consequences for female farmers in Southern Nigeria. The research focused on smallholder farmers across agriculturally active regions, employing a mixed-methods approach to capture nuanced disparities. A multi-stage sampling technique yielded 350 participants (200 women, 150 men), selected through collaboration with agricultural bodies including the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria. Primary data was gathered via structured questionnaires while secondary sources contextualized the findings.

Analytical methods included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and regression models (linear and logit) to assess credit access differentials and their economic impacts. Results demonstrated pronounced inequalities: male farmers secured credit at nearly double the rate of female counterparts (79.3% vs. 42.1%), with systemic barriers such as educational gaps, disproportionate collateral demands, and institutional prejudices suppressing women’s financial participation. Quantitatively, women received smaller credit amounts (averaging ₦127,571 compared to ₦132,990 for men), exacerbating productivity gaps and cyclical poverty.

The study concludes that structural gender biases in credit systems undermine agricultural sustainability and regional economic progress. Policy interventions should prioritize gender-sensitive financial reforms, including digital inclusion initiatives, state-supported loan guarantees for women, and specialized extension programs to dismantle systemic barriers and foster equitable economic participation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, making substantial contributions to gross domestic product, employment, and food security. Southern Nigeria, comprising the South East, South South, and South West geopolitical zones, exhibits a predominantly smallholder-based agricultural structure. Key crops such as rice, cassava, yam, and oil palm dominate production systems in this region.

The role of women in Southern Nigeria’s agricultural sector cannot be overstated. Recent empirical studies indicate that women contribute between 40% and 60% of total labor hours in crop production and processing, while accounting for up to 90% of marketing activities in rural areas (Udemezue & Odia, 2021). Within the South Eastern region specifically, women constitute approximately 67% of the agricultural labor force, engaging predominantly in weeding, processing, transportation, and marketing, with comparatively lower but still significant involvement in planting and harvesting (Udemezue & Odia, 2021). Despite their indispensable contributions, systemic gender disparities persist in access to critical agricultural resources, particularly formal credit, which serves as a catalyst for productivity enhancement, technology adoption, and farm expansion.

Existing research demonstrates that Nigerian women receive less than 10% of agricultural credit allocated to small-scale farmers, primarily due to sociocultural constraints, institutional biases, and collateral requirements that disproportionately disadvantage them (Udemezue & Odia, 2021). In Southern Nigeria, these disparities are further compounded by customary land tenure systems that restrict female land ownership women own fewer than 10% of titled properties in the South East and South South regions, severely limiting their ability to meet conventional loan security demands (Udemezue & Odia, 2021).

The financial inclusion gender gap in smallholder agriculture has widened significantly, increasing from 7% in 2011 to 24% by 2017 nationally, with Southern states mirroring this troubling trend (Adegbite & Machethe, 2020). This growing disparity stems from interrelated socioeconomic, cultural, institutional, and regulatory factors that systematically disadvantage women in agricultural finance.

Empirical evidence underscores the economic repercussions of this imbalance. Restricted credit access for women correlates with diminished agricultural output, lower household incomes, and heightened vulnerability to poverty and food insecurity (Adegbite & Machethe, 2020). Comparative analyses reveal that male farmers consistently secure larger credit amounts than their female counterparts across various Southern agricultural zones, reinforcing disparities in farm commercialization capacity (Pawa et al., 2024; Akinrotimi, 2024).

Globally, gender-responsive agricultural financing models have emerged as a strategic intervention to address such inequities. While Nigeria has implemented programs like the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, persistent gender gaps in participation rates suggest the need for more targeted financial inclusion strategies (Adegbite & Machethe, 2020). Enhancing women’s access to digital financial services and designing loan products tailored to their needs could yield transformative socioeconomic benefits, advancing progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 5 while stimulating broader agricultural productivity.

This study examines gender dynamics in agricultural credit access within Southern Nigeria—where over 70% of the rural population depends on farming to elucidate how financial exclusion perpetuates economic marginalization among women farmers and to identify policy-relevant solutions.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite women’s substantial role in agricultural production across Southern Nigeria, persistent gender-based inequalities in financial service access continue to constrain their economic agency (Udemezue & Odia, 2021). Research indicates that structural barriers manifest through institutional lending policies requiring excessive collateral, complex application procedures, and embedded biases that collectively disadvantage female applicants (Adegbite & Machethe, 2020). Regional studies from Ondo and Benue States reveal intersecting socioeconomic factors such as educational disparities and disproportionate domestic responsibilities further restrict women’s ability to leverage formal credit systems effectively (Akinrotimi, 2024; Pawa et al., 2024). These constraints contribute to suboptimal investment in productive agricultural inputs, diminished crop outputs, and the perpetuation of intergenerational poverty cycles as women become increasingly reliant on exploitative informal lending mechanisms.

The macroeconomic consequences of this financial marginalization extend beyond individual households, manifesting as suppressed sectoral growth, compromised food system resilience, and exacerbated wealth polarization (Adegbite & Machethe, 2020). Current policy frameworks have demonstrably failed to rectify these imbalances, evidenced by women’s persistently minimal representation in formal agricultural credit allocations at national levels (Udemezue & Odia, 2021). Scholars warn that without implementing gender-responsive financial interventions, these systemic failures will continue to undermine sustainable development objectives throughout Southern Nigeria’s agricultural communities.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective is to investigate gender dynamics in agricultural credit access and their economic implications for women farmers in Southern Nigeria. Specific objectives are:

1. To examine the roles and contributions of women farmers in Southern Nigeria’s agriculture.
2. To analyze gender differentials in credit access and utilization.
3. To assess the economic implications of these disparities for women farmers.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What are the primary roles of women farmers in Southern Nigeria’s agricultural sector?
2. How do gender differentials manifest in agricultural credit access and utilization?
3. What are the economic implications of limited credit access for women farmers?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

1. There is no significant difference in credit access between male and female farmers in Southern Nigeria.
2. Socioeconomic factors such as education and farm size do not significantly influence credit utilization among women farmers.
3. Gender disparities in credit access have no economic implications for agricultural productivity and income levels.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study advances the discourse on gender equality in agriculture by examining disparities in credit access and their broader economic implications, drawing on empirical evidence from Nigeria. The findings offer policymakers a foundation for developing more inclusive financial interventions that could enhance the economic participation of women farmers, strengthen rural economies, and contribute to national food security. By situating its analysis within existing scholarship on gender dynamics in Nigerian agriculture, the research provides a substantive contribution that informs both academic debate and practical policy formulation, while establishing a framework for subsequent scholarly inquiry.

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study examines women farmers engaged in smallholder crop production across selected states in Southern Nigeria, including Ondo, Benue, and Anambra. Its analytical focus centers on the dynamics of credit accessibility and associated economic impacts, deliberately omitting consideration of other agricultural resources such as land tenure systems or extension service provisions. Methodological constraints arise from the dependence on self-reported survey data, which introduces potential respondent bias. This limitation is addressed through the implementation of systematic sampling procedures designed to enhance data reliability.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

• Gender Dynamics: Patterns of roles, power relations, and inequalities between men and women in agricultural contexts.
• Agricultural Credit Access: The ability to obtain formal or informal loans for farming activities.
• Economic Implications: Effects on productivity, income, poverty, and growth resulting from credit disparities.
• Women Farmers: Female smallholders engaged in crop production in Southern Nigeria.

References

Adegbite, O. O., & Machethe, C. L. (2020). Bridging the financial inclusion gender gap in smallholder agriculture in Nigeria: An untapped potential for sustainable development. World Development, 127, 104755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104755

Akinrotimi, A. F. (2024). Assessment of gender inclusion in credit utilization among farmers in Ondo State, Nigeria. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.52493/j.oujas.2024.1.96

Pawa, S. S., Atagher, M. M., Nyiatagher, Z. T., & Okeke, A. M. (2024). Analysis of gender differentials in credit access among rice farmers in Benue State Nigeria. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Research, 10(10), 21-30. https://doi.org/10.56201/ijssmr.v10.no10.2024.pg21-30

Udemezue, J. C., & Odia, F. N. (2021). Gender disparities and roles of women in agriculture in the South Eastern Nigeria. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 36(4), 28788-28792. https://doi.org/10.26717/BJSTR.2021.36.005892