2026 Vol-6 Issue-2 | LOAN ADEQUACY AMONG SMALL-SCALE CROP FARMER BANK OF AGRICULTURE (BOA) LOAN BENEFICIARIES IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA (2019 TO 2024)

This study analyzed loan adequacy among small-scale crop farmer Bank of Agriculture (BOA) loan beneficiaries in North Central Nigeria from 2019 to 2024 using secondary administrative records. A sample of 1,209 beneficiaries was drawn through proportionate stratified random sampling from four purposively selected states. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and General Linear Model (GLM) regression were employed to compare loan amounts requested and disbursed, and to evaluate annual disbursement trends. Results revealed that farmers consistently received less than requested, with an average shortfall of ₦18,717.95 (t = 4.659, p < 0.01), confirming the persistence of credit rationing in BOA's lending practices. Annual trend analysis using GLM showed no statistically significant variation in loan requests (F = 5.421, p = 0.080) or disbursements (F = 4.304, p = 0.107), indicating stable lending patterns across the six years. Year effects were not statistically significant for either loan requests (F = 5.421, p = 0.080, Adj. R² = 0.469) or loan disbursements (F = 4.304, p = 0.107, Adj. R² = 0.398). This indicates that BOA's lending practices remained relatively stable across the six years, with no strong evidence of annual variation. These results highlight BOA's resilience in maintaining continuity of lending, but highlight persistent inadequacy in meeting farmers' credit needs. The study concludes that BOAloans remain constrained by rationing, limiting their transformative potential for small-scale farmers. It recommends reviewing loan ceilings and disbursement criteria to reduce rationing and embedding crisis-response mechanisms to ensure continuity of credit flows during shocks. The purposive sampling of four states is acknowledged as a limitation, potentially affecting the representativeness of the findings for the entire North Central zone.