Beyond awareness: accounting for information exposure bias in adoption and income effects of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato technology among smallholder farming households in Nigeria

This study examined the role of information exposure in the adoption of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) technology and its effect on the income of smallholder sweet potato farming households in Nigeria. Using cross-sectional primary data collected from 320 smallholder sweet potato farming households in Osun and Kwara States through a two-stage sampling procedure, the study accounted for heterogeneous awareness exposure and actual adoption behavior. The Heckman probit selection model was employed to distinguish between awareness exposure and adoption conditional on awareness, while the Endogenous Treatment Effect (ETE) and Inverse-Probability-Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA) models were used to estimate the income effects of OFSP adoption while correcting for potential endogeneity and selection bias. The findings showed that awareness exposure was significantly influenced by age, marital status, household size, and membership in farmer associations, whereas adoption conditional on awareness was significantly associated with education, farming experience, and access to credit. Descriptively, OFSP adopters reported more favorable perceptions of the technology’s productivity, climate resilience, and nutritional benefits than non-adopters. Both ETE and IPWRA estimates further indicated that OFSP adoption had a positive and significant effect on household income. The study concludes that awareness and adoption are distinct stages influenced by different factors. Policies aimed at promoting OFSP adoption should therefore strengthen targeted information dissemination, extension support, farmer education, and access to credit to enhance adoption, household income, food security, nutrition, and rural livelihoods.