Abstract
Climate variability significantly impacts livelihoods in Nigeria’s drylands, where dependence on the environment for survival is high. This study examines the effect of climate variability on pearl millet production, being the commonest staple food in the region. Using a multistage sampling approach, 364 farmers from prominent farming communities were sampled and structured interviews were conducted. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, time series analysis, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The correlation between mean rainfall and millet production is very low (0.023) with a high p-value (0.913), indicating no significant relationship. Mean temperature has a stronger correlation (0.377) with a p-value of 0.064, but it is still not significant at the 0.05 threshold. Thus, the model explains 21.6% of the variability in millet production (R-squared = 0.216), with borderline significance for mean temperature. ANOVA results show a p-value of 0.069, suggesting borderline significance for the model. Further research with additional variables and larger datasets is needed to understand the determinants of pearl millet production and ensure food security.
Presenters
Mohammed Baba AdamuAssistant Lecturer, Geography, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Yobe, Nigeria
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Assessing Impacts in Diverse Ecosystems
KEYWORDS
Climate variability, Pearl millet production, Drylands, Food security, Nigeria
