Abstract
This study investigates food insecurity in Nigeria by addressing three major research gaps: the
knowledge gap is related to policy efficiency and its measures, the consequences of food
insecurity in the long term, and the functions of technological advancements. Applying the
Household Food Security Model, Social Network Theory, and Ecological Systems Theory, a
qualitative multiple case study research design was conducted. Interview and focus group
discussions were conducted, and participant observations were made in different parts of Nigeria.
The outcome shows that policy interventions are insufficiently implemented and coordinated, the
effects of policies on different population groups are understudied in the long term, and
technology has not been adequately developed to boost agricultural production and
sustainability. Based on the findings, recommendations for improvement of specific policies for
the afflicted groups are suggested, prospectively long-lasting empirical future research, and
incorporation of sophisticated farming technologies to solve the Nigerian food insecurity
problem.
Background
Food insecurity in Nigeria is complex and persistent, affecting millions of people across the
country in different ways and negatively affecting the health, economy, and social uplifting of
the people. Owoo (2018) shows that Nigeria is among the countries with the worst food
insecurity indicators, as over 40 percent of the population suffers moderate to severe food
insecurity. This crisis is an outcome of socio-political, economic, and environmental factors that
can be described below. Some of the effects of climate change include: While climate change has
been defined as the long-term shifts in the average weather patterns, there are specific effects that
include the following: Climate change has, however, resulted in unpredictable weather patterns,
which have cut down on agricultural production (Lamidi, 2019; Gani et al., 2019). Socio-
political insecurity in the form of Boko Haram, Herdsmen farmers' conflict, and other related
issues has forced many farmers to flee their homes, thus worsening the problem (Kralovec,
2020). Hence, there prevails a research gap in the efficacy of the existing food security policies
despite the implementation of multiple policies. Moreover, according to Sweetland et al. (2019),
many of the available studies do not follow the changes in food insecurity over time. Thus, they
do not analyze its effects on various categories of the population and regions in the long term.
Other areas that have potential for technological developments that may help solve the global
food insecurity problem also deserve mention. These are necessary for filling the existing gaps in
order to come up with appropriate measures to be taken to provide food security in Nigeria.
Research Gap
There is still limited research done on the impact of policy interventions in enhancing food
security in Nigeria (Ogundipe et al., 2020). Current ones include the Agricultural Promotion
Policy (APP) and a number of measures under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP)
that aim at increasing agricultural productivity and food production (Nwozor et al., 2019; Lynda
et al., 2020). However, the degree to which such interventions have met their objectives is not
well stated. More studies are required to assess the effectiveness of these policies as well as to
determine the successes of the strategies for the subsequent interventions. According to Samuel
et al. (2021), it can be inferred that although some of the policies have been beneficial to
learners, some have not been positively impacted due to poor implementation and non-
coordination. Therefore, it is crucial to identify further the efficacy of the policies implemented
in the future.
In another study by Endris Mekonnen et al. (2022), Studies that prospectively document the
nature and trends of food insecurity and its effects on different population groups and areas in
Nigeria are limited. However, most current literature presents the results in the form of cross-
sectional analysis, thus not capturing the temporal changes in food insecurity. For instance, a
study by Thomas et al. (2023) shows that food insecurity varies with seasons of economic and
political volatility. This makes it difficult to capture the long-term impacts of food insecurity on
the health, education, and income status of people whenever cross-sectional data are used
(Kehinde & Favour, 2020). The long-term analysis may identify crucial trends and the necessary
actions for one or another segment, women, children, and rural residents who suffer from hunger
more than others.
There is a lack of research regarding how technological interventions have helped in food
security. Some of the technologies, for instance, precision farming, mobile applications in
agriculture, and advanced systems of irrigation, can greatly improve productivity and production
systems in agriculture (Mukhtar, 2019; Agba et al., 2024). However, there is a dearth of literature
as to the extent to which these technologies have been adopted and how they have benefitted the
country, Nigeria in particular. Oluwatayo & Ojo (2019) reveal that although technology has a
significant impact on agriculture, there are challenges that include access to capital, poor
infrastructure, and farmers' low technological attachment. Further studies should be conducted
with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of the various technologies as well as establishing
the best practices that should be adopted for the implementation of these technologies in various
organizations.
Research question
1. How effective are existing policy interventions in improving food security among households
in Nigeria?
2. What long-term trends in food insecurity can be observed across different demographics and
regions in Nigeria?
3. How can technological innovations in agriculture contribute to reducing food insecurity in
Nigeria?
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework that will be applied in the study includes the household food security
model, social network theory, and ecological systems theory. The Household Food Security
Model will guide the evaluation of the various factors within the client and the household in
regard to the food security indicators of availability, access, utilization, and stability. The
concept of social network theory will be applied to assess the part played by social networks in
the delivery of resources and information, with the main accent on the part played by community
connections in the obtainability of resources. Last, ecological systems theory will take the
environmental and systemic constraints and opportunities surrounding food security into
consideration and detail the relations between the person, their environment, and the
sociopolitical environment. These theoretical frameworks enable me to cover the various levels
of analysis that may be required in the investigation of food insecurity, starting from the
household level up to the social and physical environment in which Nigerian households exist,
hence providing a more balanced analysis of the factors that may affect food security in Nigeria.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Sweetland et al. (2019), numerous interventions have been made towards the
enhancement of the food security policy in Nigeria. Government policies aimed at boosting
agricultural productivity and food security include the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) and
the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) (Okpala et al., 2023; Otekunrin, 2022).
However, there is very scanty research undertaken that can support their effectiveness. Adesoye
& Adepoju, (2020) postulate that though some of the policies have brought positive change,
others have not due to poor implementation and lack of synergy. In the same, Ukegbu et al.
(2019) assert that policy interventions have a lot of gaps in respect to which all the stakeholders
are not involved, thus leading to the attainment of suboptimal goals. More studies are required to
determine these policies' impacts more holistically in relation to the Nigerian socio-political
environment.
According to Enakhe & Tamuno (2021), it is also crucial to note that most researchers do not
follow the same sample over time to capture the trends of food insecurity. Nnaji et al. (2022)
emphasize the fact that insecurity in food varies with the changes in the seasons and the
economic and political conditions. This means that longitudinal research would offer information
concerning the health, education, and economic consequences of chronic food insecurity.
Villacis et al. (2022) also lay much importance on such research to identify how such population
groups like women, children, and those in rural areas are impacted over time. In this way,
policymakers cannot create effective interventions aimed at the reasons for food insecurity,
identifying them based on cross-sectional studies only.
Technological development as a social factor plays a massive role in the alleviation of food
insecurity and has not received adequate attention in Nigerian research (Kalu et al., 2018). With
information technology such as precision farming, mobile applications in agriculture, and better
water management tools, productivity, and sustainability are improved (Otekunrin et al., 2021;
Aboaba et al., 2020) described the technological advancement in small-scale agriculture as
having positive sides, but challenges like poor fund support, poor supporting structure, and poor
technological awareness among farmers. Abay et al. (2021) also extend more on how technology
has enhanced food security and call for policy support and physical infrastructures to enhance the
technology. It is thus necessary to carry out more studies to evaluate the effects of such
technologies on food security and, possibly, come up with implementation frameworks.
Hence, apart from policy and technology, socio-political and environmental factors are essential
determinants of food security. Boko Haram herdsmen-farmer clashes, among other conflicts,
have forced many farmers out of their farms and affected production, hence increasing food
insecurity (Nwaka et al., 2020). Other impacts include climate change, which brings with it
various troubles, among them being the instability in the weather that leads to poor production of
crops and food (Obayelu et al., 2021). Villacis et al. (2023) research proves that climate change
affects agricultural yield in Nigeria in a significant manner, thus calling for the need for coping
strategies. These socio-political and environmental factors need to be resolved in order to
provide a more extensive approach towards food insecurity.
Hypotheses
1. H1: Policy interventions significantly improve household food security outcomes among
vulnerable populations in Nigeria.
2. H2: Longitudinal data will show significant variations in food insecurity levels across different
demographics and regions of Nigeria over time.
3. H3: The adoption of technological innovations in agriculture leads to a measurable reduction
in food insecurity levels among households in Nigeria.
METHODOLOGY
The research will use a qualitative research approach to examine the multi-faceted problem of
food insecurity in Nigeria. Thus, the proposed research is a multiple case study to allow for the
comparison of food insecurity and to investigate various communities' experiences and
contextual factors that contribute to food insecurity. The regions will be selected based on the
degree of food insecurity, farming systems, and socio-economic classification, which will
encompass the Nigerian situation. This approach will help the research obtain rich data on the
experiences of the subjects and give a comprehensive view of food insecurity. The data
collection technique will involve interviews, focus group discussions, and participant
observations. Throughout the research, the main qualitative data collection technique will be
focus group and individual interviews with policymakers, agricultural experts, community
leaders, and households in food-insecure areas. Participant observations will, therefore, be used
to complement the quantitative data in order to provide an understanding of daily practices and
vices among households. The use of these three approaches to data collection will enhance the
provision of sufficient and accurate data on the causes of food insecurity in Nigeria, the
efficiency of policy measures towards food insecurity, and the role of technology in addressing
food insecurity.
