From Energy Access to Agricultural Resilience: Determinants, Adoption, and Economic Impacts of Solar-Powered Irrigation among Smallholder Farmers in Southwestern Nigeria
Omotunde Ayobami Ibrahim
College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China.
Adedotun Khaleed Opeyemi
Department of Crop Protection, University of Ilorin, Kwara, Nigeria.
Jiang Hongkun
College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China.
Samuel Ariyo Okaiyeto *
College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This study examined the determinants and economic outcomes associated with the adoption of solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) among smallholder farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria.
Study Design: A cross-sectional survey with an observational impact evaluation was employed.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Ibarapa East, Akinyele, and Ogbomosho North Local Government Areas of Oyo State, Nigeria, from 4 October to 7 November 2025.
Methodology: Data were collected from 320 farmers, comprising 153 SPIS adopters and 167 non-adopters. Descriptive statistics summarised respondents’ characteristics. Binary logistic regression identified factors associated with adoption, while propensity-score matching estimated the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated for annual farm income, production costs, and land-based economic productivity. Nearest-neighbour, radius, and kernel matching assessed robustness.
Results: Cultivated farm size was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of adoption (odds ratio [OR] = 1.342, p = .001), while access to credit (OR = 1.588, p = .020) and extension services (OR = 1.709, p = .011) were also positively associated with adoption. Age, household size, and farming experience were not statistically significant. After matching, SPIS adoption was associated with an increase of ₦34,394 in annual farm income and ₦39,029 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in land-based economic productivity and a reduction of ₦121,703 in annual production costs. Effect directions and magnitudes remained stable across matching algorithms.
Conclusion: SPIS adoption was associated with improved farm performance, primarily through cost savings, with additional gains in income and land-based economic productivity. Scaling adoption requires affordable finance, specialised extension support, inclusive ownership models, reliable maintenance services, and sustainable water-use safeguards.
Keywords: Solar-powered irrigation, smallholder farmers, technology adoption, agricultural credit, extension services, propensity-score matching, farm income, production costs, land-based economic productivity, agricultural resilience