Inadequate food is an impetus to food insecurity among households in Nigeria. Improvement in agricultural productivity is a prerequisite to increased rural household incomes and access to available food. Therefore this paper investigates the effect of women participation in agricultural activities on household food security in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Random sampling technique was used to select 144 respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 35 years with 86.8% had one form of formal education. Food wastage reduction and food preparation were the major household food security activities engaged by women. The PPMC result revealed that, there is a significant relationship between household size (r = 0.29, p<0.01), educational level (r = 0.164; p<0.05), with food security status of the respondents. Chi-square test also revealed that there is a significant relationship between food storage (χ2 = 0.018, P = 0.05). The results of the Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between reduction of meal taken (r = 0.18; P< 0.05), withdrawal of funds from personal saving (0.28, P =0.05), borrowing of funds from friends and relatives (r = 0.17; P< 0.05). It is therefore, recommended that women marginalization be reduced and as well considers them in the provision of farm inputs especially with the growth enhancement scheme of e-wallet inputs distribution. The non-governmental organizations should as well be encouraged to engage in women empowerment programmes that will help in boosting their economic activities.

The study analyzed gender knowledge, attitude and practices on wheat farming in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 352 men and 151 women making a total of 503 respondents. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaire, analyzed using frequency distribution, percentages, mean scores, standard deviation, and Probit analysis. The result revealed that the majority (70%) of the respondents were male. Meanwhile, 55.4% male respondents had a household size between 6-10 persons. Majority (64.2%) of the female respondents had a farm size between 0.5-1.0 hectares and 80.8% of them obtained their farmland through inheritance. About 67.5% of the male respondents had 6-10 years of wheat farming experience. About, 68% of the male respondents had 1000 kg and above of wheat yield per hectare. About 69% of the male respondents had access to extension services and therefore had high knowledge on critical irrigation stage for wheat with a mean score of 1.59. The coefficient of age, gender, marital status, education level, farming experience and access to farm inputs were positively related to knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) at P≤0.01. Men and women participated in wheat farming, except that, on average male respondents had a higher knowledge and extensively practices wheat farming than the women, as a result of men’s better access to extension services, larger farm size, among other things. Extension agent should be intensifying educational campaigns for attitudinal change, through regular trainings to ensure knowledge gets into farmers’ hand and fields, and encourage the women to be more inclusive in wheat farming.

This study was carried out to analyzed the socio-economic and institutional characteristics of wheat farmers in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 503 wheat farmers (352 men and 151 women) from the study area. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaire and analyzed; using descriptive and inferential statistics (Tobit regression). The result revealed that Majority (70%) of the respondents were male and 30% were female. About 56.0% male and 49.0% women respondents were within the age bracket of 30-39 years and 20-29 years respectively. It was revealed that 91.5% male and 95.4% female respondents were married. Furthermore, 58.3% of the female respondents had primary level of education. Meanwhile, 55.4% male and 56.3% female respondents had a household size between 6-10 persons and 1-5 persons respectively. Majority (64.2%) of the female respondents had a farm size between 0.5-1.0 hectares. About 54.8% male and 67.5% female respondents had 6-10 years and 1-5 years of farming experience. Furthermore, 68.5% of the male respondents had access to extension from Jigawa Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (JARDA) while, 51.7% women had no contact. On the other hand, 32.4% of male had extension contact twice a year while 32.5% female had contact once a year. The result further revealed that 64.9% female respondents practice mixed cropping. 52,0% male practice bed drill method of sowing. The result further shows that majority (63.3% males and 67.5% female) respondents use the LCRIWHIT-4 (Atilla-Gan-Atilla) variety of wheat, 53.0% of female respondents applied organic manure to their farmland and 72.2% of the female respondents used machine in processing the wheat grains. Majority (68%) female respondents used wheat to prepare traditional dishes. The result further shows that 61.6% of the female respondents believed that high quality wheat variety is rewarded by substantial price premium. Tobit regression estimate of the extent of participation in wheat farming had a chi-square of 54.43 and significant at P≤0.01 level and Log likelihood of 364. Men and women participated in wheat farming, except that, on average male respondents had better access to land, inputs and extension services than the female wheat farmers. Policy makers should ensure that farmers receive the latest information on wheat agronomy through regular trainings.