Abstract
Climate change poses major threats to soil health and agricultural productivity, especially among smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Sustainable soil management is vital for maintaining fertility, enhancing resilience, and contributing to carbon sequestration. However, multiple socioeconomic and institutional barriers limit farmers’ ability to adopt climate-smart soil management practices. This study examined the constraints affecting the adoption of climate-smart soil management practices among smallholder farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria, with a particular focus on the role of socioeconomic factors and access to information. Data were collected from 150 respondents through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a probit regression model to identify factors influencing farmers’ likelihood of encountering soil management constraints. Farmers adopted a mix of inorganic, organic, and biological practices, including NPK fertilizer (95.3%), green manure (100%), compost (83.3%), biofertilizers (55%), and seaweed extracts (70.6%). Major constraints were inadequate capital (100%), lack of soil conservation knowledge (91.3%), land-use competition (88.7%), and poor access to fertilizer (85.3%). The probit results showed that gender (β = −0.02, p = 0.02) and access to information sources (β = 0.03, p = 0.05) significantly influenced farmers’ likelihood of encountering soil management constraints. Sustainable soil management in Nigeria requires integrated technical, institutional, and policy responses, including improved access to carbon credit markets and extension services to enhance climate resilience and eq-uity.
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