Sex of Household Heads and Attitude Towards Home Gardening in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the attitude of household-heads towards home gardening in southwest Nigeria using a cross-sectional survey with sex-disaggregated data. A randomly selected sample of 480 households was used for the study. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, charts, mean, standard deviations and t-tests. The findings revealed that male-headed households had a more favourable attitude towards home gardening when compared to female-headed households. The results also indicated a significant difference in home gardening knowledge, with female-headed households demonstrating higher levels of knowledge than their male counterparts. Major constraints reported by households in home gardening were damage from pests, diseases, animals, and theft (male: 1.98±0.63; female: 1.96±0.61) and limited access to agricultural inputs like capital, tools, and seeds (male: (1.94±0.77; female: 2.00±0.75). Tackling these identified constraints could contribute to improving household perceptions of home gardening, reducing gender disparities in attitudes, and enhancing food security outcomes. Regular training sessions be organized by relevant government and non-governmental agencies to encourage and equip households with new agricultural skills, thereby addressing challenges related to global food insecurity.