Circular Economy in Nigerian Agriculture: Farmers’ Perceptions of Rice Husk Biochar for Remediating Degraded Lowland Soils and Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Southeastern Nigeria
Benjamin Ilo1; Joshua Onuoha2; Hongwei Zhang3
¹,³(Advanced Food Innovation Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, S1 1WB, United Kingdom)
² (Department of Biology, Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria)
Abstract:
The circular economy offers a compelling framework for sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria, rice husk is an abundant by-product of rice milling and can be pyrolysed into biochar for use as a soil amendment. However, the success of any biochar programme ultimately depends on the awareness, perceptions and adoption readiness of the farmers expected to use it, dimensions that remain poorly documented in southeastern Nigeria. This study assessed rice farmers’ perceptions of rice Husk Biochar for remediating degraded lowland soils, enhancing carbon sequestration and delivering economic benefits within a circular-economy framework. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among registered rice farmers in the southeastern states of Nigeria. Using Yamane’s formula, 395 farmers were selected through multi-stage sampling combining stratification and proportionate random sampling. Data were collected with a validated structured questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.85) employing a four-point Likert scale, and were analysed using means, standard deviations and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Respondents agreed that rice Husk Biochar improves soil physicochemical properties (grand mean = 3.25), enhances rice yield and carbon sequestration while lowering greenhouse-gas emissions (grand mean = 3.36), and confers economic and policy benefits (grand mean = 3.19); each domain exceeded the 2.50 decision criterion. ANOVA indicated that response patterns differed significantly for all three domains (p < 0.001). The findings reveal strong farmer receptiveness to biochar technology and point to a circular-economy opportunity to convert rice-milling waste into a soil-restoring resource. The study recommends targeted extension, locally fabricated pyrolysis units and enabling policy, while emphasising that multi-year field trials are required to empirically validate the agronomic and carbon outcomes that farmers currently perceive.
Keywords: Circular economy; rice Husk Biochar; soil degradation; carbon sequestration; farmer perception; sustainable agriculture; Nigeria
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