This has put already impoverished host communities under extreme pressure, leading to increased exposure to food insecurity and malnutrition. Threats to food security in nigeria punch newspapers. The boko haram insurgency in the northeast and pockets of conflicts in some states where basic food items for the nation come from are making. In northeastern nigeria, the boko haram insurgency has led to heightened levels of displacement and food insecurity. Food security is indispensable prerequisite for the survival of mankind and his economic activities including food production.
With over 182 million people, nigeria is the most populated country in africa and the seventh largest in the world. Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones, each of which encompasses a unique composition of languages, ethnicities, economies, and other characteristics. Nigerias urban population has outstripped the rural population. Food insecurity, especially when caused by higher food prices, heightens the risk of democratic breakdown, civil conflict, protest, rioting, and communal conflict. Pressing challenges to food security in nigeria and ways. Some possible solutions while it is true that the food insecurity problems in africa are complex and will not all be solved overnight, there has been some progress made on this important issue.
The recent centenary celebration was an indication that president goodluck is a called leader sent by god to unite nigeria against disintegration. The importance of food to individuals and households cannot be overemphasized. Nigeria food insecurity in conflict affected regions in. Asia and commonwealth of independent states experienced a 30% drop in the number of hungry people.
The food security assessment in 2005 proves that 750 million people were food insecure in 70 lowincome countries. Costofcalories coc method and logit model are used as analytical techniques for the study. The number of people who experience food insecurity in nigeria is rising. Although chronic and seasonal food insecurity occurs throughout the country, and is exacerbated by volatile and rising food prices, the impact of conflict and other shocks has resulted in acute levels of food insecurity in the north east zone fewsnet. Unfortunately, most of the food need in nigeria is produced by peasant farmers who lack capital, skills, energy and other viable. Nigeria food security outlook february to september. Food insecurity on the other hand represents lack of access to enough food and can be either chronic or temporary. Assessment of households food access and food insecurity in urban nigeria. In chronic food insecurity, which arises from a lack of resources to produce or acquire food, the diet is persistently inadequate adeoti, 1989. Results from the north east, north central, and south south zones english abstract. A multistage sampling technique was applied on 1,200 households.
Nigeria is the worlds largest producer of cassava, yam, and cowpea. It is my hope that the information provided in the regional overview of food security and nutrition in africa, 2016. Many studies focus on adults under 65, while others include all adults over 18 or 20 years of age. Causes, effects and way forward to food insecurity 1department of civil engineering, faculty of engineering, university of benin, pmb 1154, benin city, nigeria 2department of civil engineering 3department of petroleum engineering 4department of mechanical engineering 5department of civil engineering, general abdusalami a. Insecurity and socioeconomic development in nigeria. Food insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources.
Squealing to the discovery of petroleum, nigeria has rapidly grown into a major food importing nation as the government has become neglectful of the agricultural sector since petroleum is considered a more viable resource for economic development. Food insecurity in conflict affected regions in nigeria. In this report, we find that food insecurity is a major concern in all the three regions studied. Prolonged conflict perpetuated by boko haram and the islamic state of iraq and syriawest africa has spurred massive displacement and undermined food security in northeastern nigeria and surrounding countries in the lake chad basin. Food insecurity is a major problem worldwide and it is especially widespread in subsaharan africa of which nigeria is a major part. Violent crime has a root and history in nigeria, and could be traced back to the period from 1960 to 1970. Insecurity the need for security was the basis of the social contract between the citizens and the state, in which people willingly surrendered their rights to the government who oversees the survival.
The food security situation in the northeast nigeria has drastically deteriorated. Introduction there is no doubt that the present jonathan administration has scored good marks in the area of agriculture. Food insecurity and a recession are unfortunately now an economic forecast for nigeria. The variance decomposition also shows high imports of food have contributed significantly to shocks in food supply, but not significant in determining food security. The csis africa program, in conjunction with the global food security project, will examine nigerias evolving agricultural landscape, identifying the major obstacles to growth and productivity, the challenges that small holder farmers confront, and the drivers of food. Flour mills of nigeria backs closure of border with benin. This map represents acute food insecurity outcomes relevant for. Undernourishment, which increased between 21% in 2015.
A recent joint stakeholders report on the food insecurity situation in 16 states in northern nigeria indicated that over 3. The general prices of food in nigeria had already increased after the government shut its borders, particularly those with neighboring benin republic in an effort to stem the smuggling of rice. In the event of food shortage, households tend to employ coping strategies to minimize. English situation report on nigeria about agriculture, food and. While humanitarian access is improving, most displaced families still rely on vulnerable host communities for basic needs, including food. Pdf sequel to the discovery of petroleum, nigeria has rapidly grown into a major food importing nation as the government has become.
The recent discovery of evil forest in ibadan where human beings were slaughtered for ritual purposes could portent the state of insecurity in the country if not prevented by nigeria security agencies. Origin and causes of insecurity in nigeria according to ali 20 the fear of insecurity in nigeria is on the increase and this has been compounded by the rising waves of terrorism since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999. Unfortunately, most of the food need in nigeria is produced by peasant. In the in the early 70s, during t he military regi me, gen. Of nigeria s population of more than 160 million people, the number of undernourished people has increased from 10 million in 2010 to almost million in 2012 and has been growing since. Assessment of households food access and food insecurity. Food is different from other commodities because everybody needs it for survival, and it is an indispensable factor in nations quest for economic growth and development. A case study of nigeria find, read and cite all the research you need. Pdf the challenges of food security in nigeria researchgate. Nowadays, soaring food prices in major cities across the nigerian states are being reported with adverse impact on household budgets. Unfortunately, while only small fraction of the population benefited. Food insecurity and hunger are two sides of the same coin and one cannot analyze one without analyzing the other. The boko haramrelated conflict in the northeast is. Nigerias food security challenges will grow with its population.
Some of the largest contributing factors to the low level of food security throughout niger include high priced essential food, susceptible crops, drought and soil infertility. Nd annual meeting food and nutrition insecurity in. Abstract the study was carried out to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and the level of household food access, as household transit from major harvest period to. Household food security has been identified as an important determinant of an individuals nutritional status. Advancing food and nutrition security in nigeria through. Indicators of food insecurity in a given region can include numbers of hungry or malnourished people, of underweight children and of people suffering from micronutrient deficiency. At current food production growth rates, nigeria remains unable to feed its population. To achieve sustainable food security in nigeria, the paper recommends an improvement. Fawole and others published food insecurity in africa in terms of causes, effects and solutions. The food security problem in nigeria is pathetic as more than 70 percent of populace live in households too poor to have regular access to the food that they need for healthy and productive living with an increasing high levels of. Assessment of barriers to food security in northeastern nigeria.
Agriculture and food security in nigeria center for. Yobe, reached extremely high levels of food insecurity in 2016. Findings from the october 2019 cadre harmonize analysis indicate that 2. The annual growth rate of the population is approximately 2. An observable feature of literatures on food insecurity in nigeria is that while international writers acknowledge the importance of macroeconomic factors, most nigerian writers are still stuck in productivity as the panacea position. Food assistance fact sheet nigeria food assistance u. This situation quickly polarized the nation into high and low income groups. One out of three people in northeastern nigeria or 4.
The mean household in all the three regions is highly food insecure north east of nigeria is the most food insecure of the three regions reducing meals or portion size is the most important coping strategy in all three regions. Nigeria is also the biggest oil exporter in africa, with the continents largest natural gas reserves. In this post, we take a look at the insecurity problem in the country with a view of identifying the causes and effects of insecurity in nigeria. The number of food insecure people is likely to grow if appropriate measures are not taken soon. Fao 2010 refers to food insecurity as the consequences of inadequate consumption of nutritious food bearing in mind that the physiological use of food is within the domain of nutrition and health. By way of definition, food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Nigeria food security outlook june 2019 to january 2020. The above quotation by nigerias renowned agricultural economist epitomizes the central argument of this paper that nigerias food situation is. Households are food insecure when the food available to them is limited or uncertain or when there is limited or uncertain ability to acquire suitable food in ways that are socially acceptable. Food security and insecurity, household, security challenges, climate change and farm produce. Of an estimated 71 million hectares of cultivable land, only half is currently used for farming. Pdf food insecurity,implication for nigeria chris kaka. Today, africa has one of the highest population growth rates in the world, placing the african population at a higher risk of food insecurity 7. Achieving sustainable food security in nigeria covenant.
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