Digital extension services, household income, and food security: a gender perspective from Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the impact of digital extension services on agricultural income and food security in Nigeria through a gender lens, using the General Household Survey (GHS)-Panel data and a Difference-in-Difference approach augmented with Causal Mediation Analysis to decompose the effects of digital extension services by gender. This allows us to quantify how agricultural income mediates the relationship between DES and food security differently for male- and female-headed households, an area previously underexplored in the literature. The findings reveal that digital extension services are associated with improvements in food security and agricultural income, with female-headed households benefiting disproportionately in food security gains, while male-headed households experience higher income increments. The mediation analysis indicates that income partially explains the relationship between digital extension services and food security, particularly for female-headed households, underscoring the need for targeted interventions that enhance women’s economic participation in agriculture. The findings emphasize the need for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its affiliated institutions to expand digital infrastructure in rural areas, enhance farmers’ digital literacy, integrate digital extension services with traditional advisory systems, and implement gender-responsive policies that improve women’s access to financial and technological resources.