TY  - JOUR
AU  - Okpala, Chukwunonso D.
AU  - Anyene, Chinedu C. C.
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/15
TI  - Agrivoltaics Potentials for Food Processing and Water Supply in Rural Electrification-deficient Areas: A Case Study of Anambra Agricultural Zones, Nigeria
JO  - Agricultural Science and Food Processing
T2  - Agricultural Science and Food Processing
JF  - Agricultural Science and Food Processing
VL  - 3
IS  - 2
SP  - 95
EP  - 119
DO  - 10.62762/ASFP.2026.324107
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/ASFP.2026.324107
KW  - agrivoltaics
KW  - rural electrification
KW  - food processing
KW  - water supply
KW  - Anambra Agricultural Zones
AB  - Reliable electricity remains a significant barrier to agricultural productivity in rural Nigeria. This case study investigated the potential of agrivoltaic systems, combining solar energy generation with crop production, to address food processing and water supply challenges in the Anambra State Agricultural Zones. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a cross-sectional survey was administered to 845 respondents, of whom 840 returned valid questionnaires, food processors, and water facility operators across 16 communities using probability-proportional-to-size sampling (design effect = 2.0). Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were used to assess perceptions and associations. Results showed strong agreement that agrivoltaic systems could reduce post-harvest losses (mean = 4.2) and improve water pumping consistency (mean = 4.5). Ordinal logistic regression revealed that willingness to adopt agricultural systems was significantly associated with higher perceived improvements in food processing (OR = 1.42, p < 0.01) and water supply (OR = 1.53, p < 0.01). Major barriers included high upfront costs, land tenure insecurity (42% of respondents do not hold family-owned land titles, relying instead on communal, rental, or informal arrangements), and concerns about panel damage from heavy rains and winds (mean = 4.18) as well as battery replacement costs (mean = 2.34). A simplified levelized cost of energy (LCOE) comparison found solar agricultural systems (\textnaira 80/kWh) substantially cheaper than diesel generators (\textnaira 736/kWh). All regression findings are associational, not causal, due to potential reverse causality and omitted variable bias. As a case study of Anambra's humid tropical zone, findings are not directly generalizable to semi-arid or Sahelian regions. Recommendations include government-subsidized pilot projects, community-based land tenure agreements, and local technical training.
SN  - 3066-1579
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 

@article{Okpala2026Agrivoltai,
  author = {Chukwunonso D. Okpala and Chinedu C. C. Anyene},
  title = {Agrivoltaics Potentials for Food Processing and Water Supply in Rural Electrification-deficient Areas: A Case Study of Anambra Agricultural Zones, Nigeria},
  journal = {Agricultural Science and Food Processing},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {3},
  number = {2},
  pages = {95-119},
  doi = {10.62762/ASFP.2026.324107},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/ASFP.2026.324107},
  abstract = {Reliable electricity remains a significant barrier to agricultural productivity in rural Nigeria. This case study investigated the potential of agrivoltaic systems, combining solar energy generation with crop production, to address food processing and water supply challenges in the Anambra State Agricultural Zones. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a cross-sectional survey was administered to 845 respondents, of whom 840 returned valid questionnaires, food processors, and water facility operators across 16 communities using probability-proportional-to-size sampling (design effect = 2.0). Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were used to assess perceptions and associations. Results showed strong agreement that agrivoltaic systems could reduce post-harvest losses (mean = 4.2) and improve water pumping consistency (mean = 4.5). Ordinal logistic regression revealed that willingness to adopt agricultural systems was significantly associated with higher perceived improvements in food processing (OR = 1.42, p < 0.01) and water supply (OR = 1.53, p < 0.01). Major barriers included high upfront costs, land tenure insecurity (42\% of respondents do not hold family-owned land titles, relying instead on communal, rental, or informal arrangements), and concerns about panel damage from heavy rains and winds (mean = 4.18) as well as battery replacement costs (mean = 2.34). A simplified levelized cost of energy (LCOE) comparison found solar agricultural systems (\textnaira 80/kWh) substantially cheaper than diesel generators (\textnaira 736/kWh). All regression findings are associational, not causal, due to potential reverse causality and omitted variable bias. As a case study of Anambra's humid tropical zone, findings are not directly generalizable to semi-arid or Sahelian regions. Recommendations include government-subsidized pilot projects, community-based land tenure agreements, and local technical training.},
  keywords = {agrivoltaics, rural electrification, food processing, water supply, Anambra Agricultural Zones},
  issn = {3066-1579},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}