Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Post-Harvest Loss Management Practices has emerged as a critical factor shaping efficiency of resource use among farmers across organizations operating in and around Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how post-harvest loss management practices relates to efficiency of resource use among farmers has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on post-harvest loss management practices, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with efficiency of resource use among farmers, particularly within Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States. Many organizations continue to make decisions about post-harvest loss management practices without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect efficiency of resource use among farmers. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Post-Harvest Loss Management Practices on efficiency of resource use among farmers in Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States.
2. To assess the extent to which post-harvest loss management practices influences efficiency of resource use among farmers within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with post-harvest loss management practices in relation to efficiency of resource use among farmers.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing post-harvest loss management practices in order to improve efficiency of resource use among farmers.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of post-harvest loss management practices on efficiency of resource use among farmers in Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States?
2. To what extent does post-harvest loss management practices influence efficiency of resource use among farmers within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with post-harvest loss management practices in relation to efficiency of resource use among farmers?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize post-harvest loss management practices in order to improve efficiency of resource use among farmers?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of agricultural economics, this study has practical value for management teams within Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States seeking to understand how post-harvest loss management practices translates into measurable outcomes around efficiency of resource use among farmers. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States, focusing specifically on how post-harvest loss management practices relates to efficiency of resource use among farmers within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.