This study assessed the determinants of intensity of improved rice varieties adoption using the Tobit model and also employed. The Heckman Two-stage model was used to identify the determinants of market participation and its potential impact on farming households’ welfare in three states selected from the three notable rice producing ecologies in Nigeria. A cross-sectional data of 600 rice farmers from the three states were used in the analysis. The Tobit model revealed that the gender of household head, wealth status, distance to sources of seed, household size, membership of any organisation, and educational background positively and significantly influence the intensity of improved rice varieties adoption. Gender of household head, contact with extension agents, educational background, area cultivated to improved rice varieties, and access to seed were positively and statistically significant in determining market participation. Also, the estimated ordinary least squares (OLS) part or the second step of the Heckman model revealed that how peanut acreage, number of bicycles owned, and the dependency ratio could influence the income from farming as a result of improved variety adoption. Therefore, it is recommended that formation of associations among the rural farmers should be encouraged. Access to seed and information about the improved rice varieties are also essential to increase the intensity of its adoption. Programmes that would improve contact with extension agents, educational background and the proportion of area cultivated to improved rice varieties should be promoted in order to increase market participation and generate improvement in rural households’ welfare.