RURAL INSECURITY AND THE FOOD SECURITY QUESTION IN NIGERIA

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Agriculture was once the mainstay of Nigeria's economy during the colonial period and early years of the independence era. However, this trend reversed with the passage of time due to certain factors that resulted in the neglect of the agricultural sector. The poor state of the agricultural sector and the food security situation in the country appears to have been worsened by the rising cases of insecurity, especially in the rural areas. This study sought to appraise the food security situation in Nigeria amidst the trend of rural insecurity that has led to the displacement of large number of farmers, loss of lives, and the seeming inability of security agents to stem the tide of threats or criminal acts that restrict access to farmlands and which constitutes serious barrier to agricultural production. The study adopted a qualitative approach and employed an ex-post facto form of presentation, relying on mixed methods for data gathering. The documentary evidence was subjected to content analysis. The framework for analysis was anchored on the human security theory. The findings reveal that rural insecurity constitutes grave danger to agricultural production, which jeopardizes food security in the country. The basic recommendation is that there is need for decisive government intervention to urgently address rural insecurity so as to achieve sustainable food security.