Typology and critical analysis of structural and institutional barriers to sustainable intensification education in Nigeria and Ghana: A systematic review

Abstract

Background The ongoing issues of food insecurity, poverty, and environmental degradation in West Africa make sustainable intensification (SI) essential. To combat these challenges, scholars and policymakers increasingly agree that training and education in SI is necessary, particularly for innovative technologies and practices. However, the integration of modern, sustainable farming techniques into educational curricula and extension services remains limited. Objective This systematic review aims to identify and categorise the structural and institutional barriers to effective and inclusive sustainable intensification (SI) education and training in Nigeria and Ghana and to analyse these barriers using the multi-level perspective (MLP) framework. Design A systematic review was conducted following the preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. An initial search was performed across Scopus and Web of Science and the final dataset was drawn from Scopus. After robust eligibility screening, 41 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2025 were included. Data was synthesized using thematic analysis and categorised using the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework. Results This paper identifies eight major barriers to SI education, namely policy and governance gaps, funding and resource constraints, infrastructure and access, socio-cultural dynamics and gender norms, curriculum and training gaps, digital governance and innovation, resistance to multidisciplinary approaches and weak extension systems. The findings reveal that macro-level policy and governance gaps alongside chronic funding and resource constraints are root causes that cascade downwards, manifesting as persistent meso-level barriers (particularly in curriculum and training gaps, infrastructure and access, and weak extension systems) and micro-level implementation challenges. Conclusion The findings indicate that technological fixes alone are insufficient to advance SI education. Systemic, multi-level reforms are required to address the interconnected barriers. This review provides a synthesized evidence base to inform educational policy, curriculum development, and extension program design in Ghana, Nigeria and similar West African contexts.