Impact of livelihood diversification on climate change resilience among rural households in Kebbi State, Nigeria

Abstract

In the face of increasing climate variability, rural households in sub-Saharan Africa are adopting diverse livelihood strategies to enhance their resilience. This study explores the relationship between livelihood diversification and climate change resilience among rural households in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Anchored in the broader discourse on rural adaptation, the research adopts a descriptive design to assess how engaging in multiple income-generating activities influences household capacity to withstand and recover from climate-related shocks. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 348 respondents from selected rural communities. Primary data were gathered through structured questionnaires and interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, multinomial logistic regression, and a climate resilience index. Results show that 74.4% of respondents were male and 58.6% had only a primary education. A significant proportion (67.8%) engaged in both farm and non-farm livelihood activities, with petty trading (51.1%) and artisanal work (38.5%) being most prevalent. Regression analysis revealed that education level (p<0.01), access to credit (p<0.05), and prior climate shock experience (p<0.01) significantly influenced diversification choices. Non-farm activities contributed over 45.3% of total household income, correlating positively with indicators of well-being, such as food security and children's education. Notably, 62.4% of households with diversified livelihoods were classified as highly resilient, compared to 38.1% of non-diversified households. Major barriers to diversification included limited access to credit (61.5%) and inadequate infrastructure (54.3%). The study concludes that livelihood diversification plays a critical role in enhancing rural households' adaptive capacity to climate change. It recommends expanding rural financial inclusion and supporting adaptive livelihoods through targeted microcredit and infrastructure development programs.