Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.Omonona, Bolarin T.Sanou, AwaOgunleye, Wale2015-03-112015-03-112015-02https://hdl.handle.net/10986/21589Inorganic fertilizer use across Sub-Saharan Africa is generally considered to be low. Yet, this belief is predicated on the assumption that it is profitable to use rates higher than currently observed. However, there is little rigorous empirical evidence to support this notion. Using a nationally representative panel data set, and with due recognition of the role of risk and uncertainty, this paper empirically estimates the profitability of fertilizer use for maize production in Nigeria. The analysis finds that inorganic fertilizer use in Nigeria is not as low as conventional wisdom suggests. Low marginal physical product and high transportation costs significantly reduce the profitability of fertilizer use. The paper finds evidence that strategies to reduce transportation costs are likely to have a much larger effect on the profitability of fertilizer use than fertilizer subsidies. Apart from reduced transportation costs, other constraints such as timely access to the product; availability of complementary inputs such as improved seeds, irrigation, and credit; as well as good management practices are also necessary for sustained agricultural productivity improvements.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICSAGRICULTURAL EXTENSIONAGRICULTURAL GROWTHAGRICULTURAL INFORMATIONAGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATIONAGRICULTURAL MARKETSAGRICULTURAL POLICYAGRICULTURAL PRACTICESAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITYAGRICULTURAL SECTORAGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATIONAGRICULTUREAGRONOMYAVERAGE TRAVEL TIMEBUSCARSCEREAL VARIETIESCEREALSCHEMICAL USECLIMATECOFFEECOFFEE GROWERSCOMMERCIAL FERTILIZERCOMMERCIAL SEEDCOMMERCIALIZATIONCORNCOST OF TRANSPORTATIONCROPCROP FAILURECROP GROWTHCROP MANAGEMENTCROP MANAGEMENT PRACTICESCROP PRODUCTIONCROP YIELDCROP YIELD RESPONSECROP YIELDSCROPPINGCROPPING PATTERNSCROPPING SYSTEMSCROPSCULTIVATIONDRIVINGECOLOGICAL ZONEECOLOGICAL ZONESECONOMIES OF SCALEFAOFARMFARM ACTIVITIESFARM SIZEFARMERFARMERSFARMINGFARMING SYSTEMFARMING SYSTEMSFARMSFERTILISERFERTILIZERFERTILIZER APPLICATIONFERTILIZER DEVELOPMENTFERTILIZER PRICESFERTILIZER RESEARCHFERTILIZER SUBSIDIESFERTILIZER SUBSIDYFERTILIZER USEFERTILIZERSFIELD CROPSFOOD CRISISFOOD CROPSFOOD GRAINFOOD POLICYFOOD POLICY RESFOOD PRICESFOOD PRODUCTIONFOOD PRODUCTSFOOD SECURITYGEODESYGRAIN MARKETGRAIN QUALITYGRAIN YIELDGRAZINGGREEN REVOLUTIONHABITATHERBICIDESHIGH TRANSPORTATIONHYBRID SEEDIFPRIINTERCROPPINGINTERNATIONAL FERTILIZER DEVELOPMENT CENTERINTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTELABOR DEMANDLAND USELEGUMESLEGUMINOUS CROPSLOCAL TRANSPORTATIONMAIZEMAIZE FARMERSMAIZE PRODUCTIONMAIZE YIELDSMANUREMILLETMIXED CROPPINGNITROGENNITROGEN FERTILIZATIONNUTRIENT MANAGEMENTPESTICIDEPESTICIDESPLANTINGPOOR FARMERSPOPULATION DENSITIESPOPULATION DENSITYPOULTRYPRODUCEPRODUCTION SYSTEMPRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTSQUALITY SEEDRICERICE MILLSRICE PRODUCTIONRICE YIELDSROADSEEDSEED PRODUCTIONSEED VARIETIESSEEDSSOIL CHARACTERISTICSSOIL FERTILITYSOIL QUALITYSOILSSORGHUMTRANSPORTTRANSPORT COSTSTRANSPORTATION COSTTRANSPORTATION COSTSTREE CROPSTREESTROPICAL AGRICULTURETRUEUREAVEGETABLESWEALTHWEED CONTROL10.1596/1813-9450-7201