Assessment of E-Commerce Adoption in Agricultural Marketing by Farmers in Lagos State

E-commerce platforms and digital agricultural marketplaces have emerged as potentially transformative tools for improving farmers' access to buyers, reducing marketing costs, and expanding the geographic reach of agricultural sales. In Lagos State, Nigeria's most commercially connected South West geopolitical zone state, digital infrastructure and smartphone penetration create favourable conditions for e-commerce adoption in agricultural marketing, yet systematic assessment of adoption levels and constraints is limited. This study assesses the adoption of e-commerce platforms for agricultural marketing among farmers and agro-processors in Lagos State. A sample of 70 farmers and agro-processors with at least basic smartphone access was selected from three farming areas of Lagos including Epe, Badagry, and Ikorodu. Adoption was measured as actual use of any digital platform for product listing, payment receipt, or buyer-seller communication in agricultural transactions. A structured questionnaire and in-depth follow-up interviews were used. Probit regression was applied to identify adoption determinants. Results show that 41 percent of respondents had used at least one e-commerce or social commerce platform for agricultural sales in the preceding year. WhatsApp Business was the most widely used platform. Trust in online payment systems and digital literacy were the strongest positive adoption predictors, while poor internet connectivity and lack of platform familiarity were the primary barriers. The study recommends targeted digital marketing training for farmers through Lagos State extension services and the promotion of locally relevant agricultural e-commerce platforms with user interfaces designed for varying literacy levels. Keywords: e-commerce, digital marketing, Lagos State, farm produce, technology adoption