DETERMINANTS OF UTILIZATION AND OPTIMUM USE OF FARMER FIELD BUSINESS SCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS AMONG MAIZE FARMERS IN NORTH WEST NIGERIA
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Mercy Isemin Effiong, Dr. Abbas Shehu, Dr. Mohammed Gwadabe, Dr. Makwin Francis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Accepted 2026-06-22
Published 2026-06-27
Abstract
This study examined the predictors of utilization and intensity of use of Farmer Field Business School (FFBS) recommendations among maize farmers in North West Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 231 FFBS participants in Kaduna and Kano States. Data were analysed using weighted mean scores, a Utilization Index, Probit regression for the binary utilization decision, and Tobit regression for intensity of use. Results showed that 95.7% of participants utilized FFBS recommendations, yielding a mean Utilization Index of 0.7415. Intensity of use varied widely across practice areas: planting and fertilizer application recorded the highest intensity (WM = 2.49 each), while use of Aflasafe and field measurement returned low scores (WM = 1.39 and 1.58). The Probit model identified sex (p < 0.10), age (p < 0.10), household size (p < 0.05), and land acquisition mode (p < 0.01) as significant determinants of the utilization decision. The Tobit model showed that marital status (p < 0.05), household size (p < 0.10), frequency of extension visits (p < 0.01), and the Perception Index of FFBS (p < 0.01) significantly influenced optimum use. These findings underscore the importance of targeted extension engagement and positive programme perception in deepening practice uptake among smallholder farmers.
https://doi.org/10.19041/APSTRACT/2026/1/9