Assessment of the coping strategies of cassava and maize farmers toward oil spillage in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States, Nigeria

The study assessed the coping strategies of cassava and maize farmers toward oil spillage in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States, Nigeria. The study specifically described the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, coping strategies adopted, and attitudes towards the coping strategies. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 360 respondents in the study area. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and mean scores from a Likert rating scale. The results revealed that the mean ages of the respondents were 49 and 45 years (65.00% and 63.89%) in oil-spilled and non-oil-spilled communities, respectively, with the majority being male (58.81% and 66.11%). The results showed that the coping strategies most adopted by farmers were mixed cropping (85.56%), backyard farming (84.44%), and off-farm businesses (73.33%). The respondents' attitudes toward the coping strategies showed that farmers preferred mixed cropping because of its benefits (mean score = 4.24) and believed that adopting mixed cropping increases the output of many arable crops per season (mean score = 4.17). However, there was a negative response toward the installation of greenhouse farming (mean score = 2.26). The study, therefore, recommends that education and training on new coping strategies, such as greenhouse farming and sack crop production, should be encouraged, particularly by oil-producing companies as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).