One of the greatest recognized threats to agricultural productivity in several regions of the world is climate change. Tackling the challenges to agricultural production requires the adoption of innovative sustainable practices capable of increasing resilience and mitigating climate change impacts. This paper examined the determinants of climate smart agricultural practices (CSAP) adoption among smallholders in Nigeria. Using cross-sectional data from 1,534 farmers across six agro-ecological zones (AEZ), the study applies descriptive statistics and Multivariate Probit Regression model to assess farmers’ perceptions of climate variability and the socio-economic, institutional, and environmental factors shaping CSAP adoption. Results show that farmers perceived climate change differently, noting slight increases in daytime temperature, longer dry seasons, and declining rainfall. Early-maturing and drought-tolerant varieties were most adopted, while agroforestry, irrigation, and green manuring remained limited. Significant complementarities exist among practices, as adopting one CSAP increases the likelihood of adopting others. Key drivers of adoption include age, education, off-farm income, credit access, cooperative membership, land ownership, and farm size. The study concludes that strengthening extension systems, enhancing land tenure security, and tailoring CSA interventions to local ecological conditions are essential for scaling climate-smart agriculture and strengthening the resilience of Nigeria’s smallholder farming systems.
risk; climate; climate smart agriculture; adoption; smallholder