Inorganic fertilizer use across Sub-Saharan Africa is generally considered to be low. Yet, the notion that fertilizer use is too low is predicated on the assumption that it is profitable to use rates higher than currently observed. There is, however, limited empirical evidence to support this. Using a nationally representative panel dataset, this paper empirically estimates the profitability of fertilizer use for maize production in Nigeria. We find that fertilizer use in Nigeria is not as low as conventional wisdom suggests. Low marginal physical product and high transportation costs significantly reduce the profitability of fertilizer use. Apart from reduced transportation costs, other constraints such as soil quality, timely access to the product, and availability of complementary inputs such as improved seeds, irrigation and credit, as well as good management practices are also necessary for sustained agricultural productivity improvements.

The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

Fish is among the most important animal-sourced foods in Africa and is crucial in combatting malnutrition. Fish demand in Africa has far outpaced supply as the import share rose from 16% in 1970 to 39% by 2017. Little is known about who is consuming the imports: rural versus urban, rich versus poor. This is the first fish consumption analysis in Africa distinguishing imported and domestic fish, and within domestic fish, fresh versus traditional-processed. We analyse three rounds of nationally representative data from Nigeria, disaggregating the richer South from the poorer North, and urban and rural. Frozen (imported) fish accounted for 34% of urban fish consumption in the North (23% for rural), compared with 67% in urban areas in the South (54% for rural). The large difference in frozen fish consumption between regions is due mainly to differences in income and refrigerator ownership. For other fish forms (fresh, dried, smoked), regional differences are far less pronounced. Income and price elasticities confirm that imported fish have become deeply incorporated into fish consumption habits. From a policy perspective, this intensifies concerns about import bills as fish demand grows. However, our elasticity results show that Nigerian consumers are keen to consume fresh fish as incomes increase, and that demand for smoked and dried fish also remains strong at high levels of income. Promoting aquaculture is a promising policy path to reduce import dependence. Domestic capture fisheries remain a major source of

Though climate events pose increasing challenges for crop and animal production in Africa, most climate adaptation studies focus on staple food crops. Few studies have examined climate adaptation for livestock with even fewer looking at small animals such as poultry. Heat stress associated with climate change is a severe challenge to poultry farmers due to its negative effect on chicken growth and productivity. As poultry plays an important food security role across Africa (being a source of livelihood and an important source of animal protein), understanding how farmers deal with the realities of poultry production due to climate change is critical. This study explores the level and determinants of the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among poultry farmers in Nigeria. A multivariate probit analysis (which allows for the possibility that the decision to adopt various practices are jointly made) reveals that while poultry farmers are adapting to climate change, there is a clear heterogeneity of adaptation strategies at different production scales. Small farms tend to invest in traditional strategies such as the stocking of local breeds while medium and large farms adopt modern technologies such as air and water ventilation as well as the use of low energy bulbs that emit less heat. Our study finds that farmers who have experienced heat-related losses are more likely to adopt modern practices and more likely to adopt multiple adaptation strategies concurrently.

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