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.