Agricultural production in Nigeria is characterized by high exposure to climatic, market, financial, and institutional risks, which significantly influence farm performance and farmers' livelihoods. This study systematically reviews empirical evidence on the effect of risk management strategies on agricultural production and livelihood outcomes among Nigerian farmers. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyze (PRISMA) 2020 framework, a structured search of major academic databases and grey literature was conducted, covering studies published between 2010 and 2025. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized using a narrative approach due to heterogeneity in study designs, risk types, and outcome measures. The findings reveal that Nigerian farmers adopt diverse risk management strategies, including crop diversification, use of improved varieties, cooperative membership, access to credit, extension services, irrigation, and off-farm income activities. Across the reviewed studies, these strategies are consistently associated with improved yield stability, higher technical efficiency, increased farm income, enhanced food security, and greater livelihood resilience. Crop diversification and institutional mechanisms such as cooperatives and credit access emerge as particularly influential in mitigating production and market risks. However, adoption is constrained by limited financial access, inadequate infrastructure, low extension coverage, gender disparities, and increasing climate variability. The review shows the importance of supportive policies, inclusive extension systems and integrated risk management frameworks that combine institutional support with farmer-level strategies. Effective risk management is shown to be central to stabilizing agricultural production and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Nigeria, with important implications for agricultural policy, climate adaptation and rural development planning.
Agbonika et al. (Thu,) studied this question.