THE INFLUENCE OF LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES AND SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES ON FOOD CROP PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY (FCT), ABUJA, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study examined the influence of livelihood strategies and sustainability practices on technical efficiency among food crop farmers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling method was used to collect data from 68 respondents via a structured questionnaire administered by trained enumerators. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Cobb–Douglas production function. Respondents were mostly aged 41–50 years (33.82%), male (77.94%), married (98.53%), with primary education (38.24%), 21–30 years of farming experience, and household sizes of 6–10 members. Common sustainability practices included sole cropping (76.47%), primary tillage (92.64%), construction of ridges across the slope (26.47%), and mulching (91.17%). The sigma square value of 1.8793 was significant at the 0.01 probability level, confirming the model's validity. Findings revealed that livelihood strategies and sustainable land management practices significantly influenced technical efficiency, while resource use remained below the frontier level. Farmers recorded an average technical efficiency score of 0.57, indicating an inefficiency level of 0.43 and suggesting room for improvement. It is concluded that enhancing the diversity and adoption of sustainability practices, alongside increased use of production factors, could improve efficiency and output among food crop producers in the study area.