Digital Agricultural Extension Services and Household Nutrition Security: The Mediating Role of Agricultural Productivity among Smallholder Farming Households in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of digital agricultural extension services on household nutrition security through the mediating role of agricultural productivity among smallholder farming households in Southeast Nigeria. A cross-sectional explanatory survey was conducted among 414 household heads selected through a multistage sampling procedure across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.889 to 0.912, and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling in SmartPLS 4. Digital agricultural extension services had a significant positive effect on agricultural productivity (β = 0.612, p < 0.001) and household nutrition security (β = 0.241, p < 0.001). Agricultural productivity also had a significant positive effect on household nutrition security (β = 0.487, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of digital agricultural extension services on household nutrition security through agricultural productivity was positive and statistically significant (β = 0.298, t = 8.417, p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval: 0.229–0.367), indicating partial mediation. These findings suggest that digital extension services may strengthen household nutrition security both directly and through improved farm productivity. The study therefore underscores the importance of reliable digital advisory platforms, rural connectivity, farmer digital literacy, and productivity-enhancing support within nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies for smallholder households in Southeast Nigeria