Climate Adaptation and Willingness to Adopt Climate-Smart Practices: Micro-Level Evidence from North Central Nigeria

Abstract

Rural households in Nigeria remain highly vulnerable to climate change risks due to limited adaptive capacity and weak institutional support. This paper argues that climate risk exposure, adaptation behaviour and willingness to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices are jointly determined by socioeconomic conditions, risk perceptions and institutional factors. Using survey data from 1,112 rural households across selected states in North Central Nigeria and employing logistic regression models, the study indicates that education and income consistently reduce exposure to climate risks and significantly increase willingness to adopt adaptation strategies. Risk perception emerges as a strong motivator for adaptation, particularly when combined with climate awareness, highlighting the importance of aligning knowledge with perceived vulnerability. Institutional support positively influences adaptation willingness, although interaction effects with awareness do not exhibit consistent statistical significance in the models. Overall, the findings suggest that effective climate adaptation depends on the combined effect of household capacity, cognitive assessments, and institutional support. Policy interventions that enhance education, improve rural incomes, strengthen risk communication, and reinforce community-based institutions are critical for building resilient rural livelihoods.