Assessing The Role Of Rice Value Chain In Enhancing Women’s Economic Welfare In Northern Senatorial Zone, Adamawa State

Abstract

This study examines the role of the rice value chain in enhancing women’s economic welfare in the Northern Senatorial Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional and explanatory research design, primary data were collected from women involved in rice production, processing, and marketing using structured questionnaires. The sample size was determined using Taro Yamane’s (1967) formula, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Logit regression, Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression techniques. The findings from the Logit model indicate that socio-economic and institutional factors including education, farming experience, access to credit, cooperative membership, land ownership, and extension services significantly increase women’s likelihood of participating in the rice value chain, while greater distance to markets reduces participation. The PSM and OLS results further reveal that participation in the rice value chain translates into substantial welfare gains. Participating women earn higher incomes (β = 38,450; ATT = ₦37,774.12), spend more on household consumption (β = 14,320; ATT = ₦14,422.56), and possess a greater assets index (β = 0.15; ATT = 0.14) compared to non-participants. Disaggregated analyses show that engagement in rice production and processing contributes most significantly to income, consumption, and asset accumulation, whereas marketing alone yields limited and inconsistent benefits. The study highlights the reinforcing roles of human capital, institutional support, and access to productive resources, while household size and poor market access remain constraints. Based on these findings, the study recommends targeted education and training programs, strengthened cooperative structures, facilitated access to affordable credit, improved rural infrastructure, and promotion of value-addition activities along the rice value chain. Implementing these measures can enhance women’s participation, improve short- and long-term welfare outcomes, and promote sustainable economic empowerment in the study area.