Assessment of Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies Among Farmers in Yobe State

Farming communities in Yobe State, in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, are among the most exposed to the effects of climate variability and change in sub-Saharan Africa, given the state's location in the semi-arid Sahel and its vulnerability to desertification, erratic rainfall, and extreme heat events. Understanding how farmers perceive climate change and what adaptation measures they have adopted is essential for contextualising agricultural policy. This study assesses climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies among farmers in Yobe State. Using a structured questionnaire, 130 farmers across three local government areas were interviewed. Perception variables included observations on rainfall timing, temperature, and drought frequency. Adaptation strategies documented included crop variety switching, tree planting, soil conservation, and income diversification. Descriptive analysis and chi-square tests of association were applied. Results indicate that 89 percent of respondents reported noticeable changes in rainfall patterns over the past decade, consistent with meteorological records. Despite high awareness, only 34 percent had actively adopted a new crop variety in response. Common adaptation constraints include lack of climate-resilient seed access, inadequate weather forecast information, and limited financial resources for adaptive investments. The study recommends establishing community weather information dissemination points in Yobe State and partnering with national seed systems to distribute drought-tolerant cereal varieties to climate-exposed farming communities. Keywords: climate change, adaptation, perception, Yobe State, drought tolerance