CLIMATE RESILIENCE STRATEGIES AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN NIGERIA: A REVIEW AND CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA, NIGERIA

The increasing intensity of climate variability and extreme weather events across Nigeria has heightened the vulnerability of smallholder farmers who constitute over 80% of the agricultural workforce and produce 90% of domestic food. This literature review-based study undertakes a systematic assessment of climate resilience strategies adopted by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Drawing upon a systematic review of twenty-six peer reviewed journal articles published between 2010 and 2025, the study evaluates strategies across six principal domains: agronomic, water management, diversification, financial, informational, and social/institutional. Findings reveal strong regional differentiation in strategy choice shaped by agro-ecological risk profiles. Northern farmers prioritize irrigation, water harvesting, and drought-tolerant varieties, while South East and South South farmers emphasize agroforestry, erosion control, and flood-adaptive seedbeds. Multivariate evidence indicates that literacy, extension contact, credit access, and climate information significantly predict adoption. However, bundling three or more strategies raises household food security by 41%, yet adoption intensity remains low due to high input costs, tenure insecurity, weak extension coverage, and gendered access barriers. The study concludes that optimal resilience outcomes depend on zoned, bundled strategies rather than isolated practices. Critically, strategy availability alone is insufficient; institutional coherence, targeted extension reform, gender-responsive credit, tenure security, and reliable infrastructure are indispensable enabling conditions for scaling resilience among smallholders.