Cognitive Bandwidth and Food Safety
Evaluating the Impact of Poverty on Investment Decisions in Nigeria's Fisheries Sector
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Abstract
This study investigates the cognitive barrier imposed by poverty on food safety investments among artisanal fishers in Nigeria, a critical yet neglected dimension of public health risk. Moving beyond conventional economic models, we apply Scarcity Theory to test the hypothesis that poverty imposes a cognitive tax that undermines the agency to act on safety knowledge. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, we surveyed 772 artisanal fishers across three coastal states, complemented by in-depth qualitative narratives. Key findings reveal a tiered behavioural response, anchored by a decisive cognitive liberation threshold at a monthly income of ₦80,000–₦100,000, where willingness-to-pay for safe food increases steeply. Below this threshold, mental bandwidth is monopolized by survival, rendering safety investment cognitively inaccessible. Counterintuitively, a high Cognitive Bandwidth Tax positively influenced WTP (Scaled OR=3.32), indicating that scarcity focuses attention on catastrophic, salient risks like family illness. Furthermore, the hierarchy of decision determinants shifts across income tiers: income acts as a foundational enabler, after which education and health risk beliefs become dominant drivers. We conclude that persistent food safety risks are not primarily a knowledge gap but a cognitive deficit induced by scarcity. Consequently, we recommend a fundamental policy pivot from knowledge-first to bandwidth-first strategies. For the majority below the liberation threshold, interventions must prioritize economic resilience through cash transfers and livelihood support to free cognitive space, before layering on behaviourally-designed safety education for those in transition.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Edamisan Stephen Ikuemonisan (Author)
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Edamisan Stephen Ikuemonisan, Department of Agricultural Economics, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko P.M.B 001, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Dr. Edamisan Stephen Ikuemonisan is a distinguished Nigerian agricultural economist, researcher, and academic, recognized for his significant contributions to the fields of agribusiness economics, value chain analysis, and sustainable food systems.
He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and currently serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Nigeria. His research focuses on improving the economic resilience, productivity, and sustainability of smallholder farmers and agri-food enterprises in Nigeria and across West Africa, with particular expertise in staple crop value chains such as cassava, maize, and rice.
A prolific scholar, Dr. Ikuemonisan has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in respected national and international journals. His work often bridges rigorous economic analysis with practical policy implications, addressing critical issues like market access, food security, profitability, and the impact of climate-smart agricultural practices. He is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of agricultural economists and development practitioners through his teaching and supervision of postgraduate students.
Dr. Ikuemonisan is also actively engaged in policy dialogue and agricultural development projects. He frequently contributes as a resource person and technical advisor to committees and initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria's agricultural sector and informal food economy. Known for his empirical, data-driven approach, he strives to generate evidence that supports both entrepreneurial decision-making and informed public policy for sustainable agricultural transformation.
His research embodies a pragmatic vision: to demonstrate that ecological sustainability and economic profitability in agriculture are not only compatible but are essential foundations for equitable growth and food security in Africa.
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