Assessment of Drought Risk and Adaptive Strategies Among Smallholder Farmers in Kebbi State

Recurrent drought conditions across Nigeria's North West zone present escalating challenges to smallholder agriculture, threatening food production and rural livelihoods in Kebbi State where rainfed farming predominates. This study assesses drought risk levels and documents adaptive strategies employed by smallholder farmers in three Local Government Areas of Kebbi State. Drought risk was characterised using the Standardised Precipitation Index computed from 25 years of monthly rainfall data obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, supplemented by satellite-derived vegetation condition indices for the period 2015 to 2024. A structured questionnaire was administered to 165 smallholder farmers to document perceived drought impacts, crop yield changes, and adaptation measures adopted. Results indicate that the study area experienced moderate to severe drought conditions in six of the past nine agricultural seasons, with consecutive drought years in 2021 and 2022 causing average yield reductions exceeding 55 percent in rain-fed plots. Farmer-documented adaptive responses include shifting to shorter-cycle crop varieties, expanding irrigated acreage where Sokoto River tributaries permit, and diversifying to off-farm income sources. However, capital constraints limit access to irrigation equipment and improved seeds for the majority of households. The study highlights that women farmers face disproportionate adaptive capacity deficits due to restricted access to credit and extension services. Recommendations include strengthening smallholder credit access, promoting drought-tolerant variety adoption, and expanding Kebbi State's irrigated agriculture programme coverage. Keywords: drought risk, smallholder farmers, adaptation, Kebbi State, rainfed agriculture.