Economic impact of climate change on Nigerian maize sector: A Ricardian analysis

Abstract

This paper evaluates the economic impact of climate change on Nigeria's maize sector using a Ricardian approach. Data was collected on temperature, precipitation, soil, maize revenue, socioeconomic characteristics and adaptation strategies to varying climate factors. The study reveals that net maize revenue per hectare is sensitive to climate change. The impact of predicted climate scenarios from three models (CGM2, HADCM3 and PCM) indicated that there would be an increasing reduction in maize net revenue per hectare over the forecast period unless appropriate mitigation responses are adopted. Further, impact of climate change is not uniformly distributed across the different agroecological zones. © 2012 WIT Press.