FOOD CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN NIGERIA: AN ESTIMATION OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AND TECHNOLOGICAL GAP RATIO

<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study analyzed the determinants of food crop productivity in Nigeria. <strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the socio-economic characteristics of the food crop farmers, estimate the meta-frontier production and compare the technological gap ratio of the various food crop farmers, and then analyzed the determinants of productivity of food crop farmers in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. <strong>Methodology: </strong>General Household Survey –Panel Wave 2 from National Bureau of Statistics Abuja, Nigeria was used for this study, and a total of 1,678 food crop farmers were randomly selected from the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. The study employed the use of descriptive statistics, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and Multiple linear regression. <strong>Results: </strong>Most (34.3%) of the farmers were aged between 41-50 years with modal family size of 6 - 10 members. The illiteracy level was high (62.2%) among the various food crop farmers as they had no formal education. The mean technical efficiency and mean Technological Gap Ratios (TGRs) of the food crop farmers were 0.563 and 0.716 respectively. The difference in the mean technical efficiency and meta-production model of food crop farmers showed a huge productivity potential ratio in the various zones of the country. Age (t = 2.99, P= 0.06), plot size square (t = 4.40, P= 0.00), plot ownership (t =2.59, P= 0.01) and access to credit (t = -2.13, P= 0.033) do significantly influence the productivity of the food crop farmers, and were the determinants of food crop productivity in Nigeria. <strong>Implications: </strong>There is the need to enhance capacity of the food crop enterprises to promote food security and economic growth in Nigeria. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Given the level of technology available, food crop farmers produce lower than the country potential output.</p>