Study of Gender Dimensions of Climate Adaptation Funding in Nigerian Agriculture

Climate adaptation funding in Nigerian agriculture rarely reaches women farmers equitably, despite women constituting a significant share of the agricultural labour force. This study examines the gender dimensions of climate adaptation finance access and distribution in Nigerian agriculture, focusing on national and international fund disbursement through the Federal Ministry of Environment and state agricultural development programmes. A mixed-method design was adopted, with 90 respondents including climate finance managers, gender policy officers, and female farmers from North Central and South South zones completing structured questionnaires and interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings reveal that fewer than 20% of climate adaptation fund beneficiaries are female farmers, with gender-blind selection criteria, land ownership requirements, and lack of female farmer registration in official databases identified as barriers. International climate funds disbursed through national systems show better gender integration in programme design than domestically managed schemes. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks rarely disaggregate beneficiary data by gender. Recommendations include mandatory gender quotas for climate adaptation fund beneficiaries, gender-responsive selection criteria that do not rely on formal land title, and capacity building for fund managers on gender-responsive climate finance. Keywords: climate adaptation funding, gender, Nigeria, agriculture, women farmers