INSECURITY AND THE CHALLENGES OF FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA, 2015-2020

Abstract

 The background to this study established that one of the primary obligations of government is to provide adequate security for its citizens. Hence, the relevance of the government as an institution through which the will of the state is implemented, is tied to the performance of such basic but indispensable function. Basically, this study thoroughly investigated the impact of the surge in security challenges in Nigeria on food security. In addition to that, the study examined the factors that are responsible for insecurity in Nigeria. Specifically, the scope of this study spanned between 2015 and 2020. The study relied on secondary sources like textbooks, journals, newspapers and internet materials for data collection and used content analysis for data analysis. The Karl Marx theory of Economic Determinism and John Locke’s theory of Natural Rights on which this study was anchored, separately but agreeably demonstrated the role of the state in ensuring the economic wellbeing of the people through the provision of adequate security. This study revealed that the escalating trends of insecurity in Nigeria, expressed in herdsmen/farmers clash, banditry and kidnapping, had impacted very negatively on food security during the periods under review. The study further uncovered that factors which include youth unemployment, poverty, religious radicalism/extremism, ethnic bigotry, border porosity, etc. are responsible for the growing spate of insecurity in Nigeria. This study concluded by admitting that although the findings of the study showed that the problems of insecurity has brought untold economic hardship on the Nigerian state, if the relevant government authorities could be proactive enough to effectively tackle the problems of youth unemployment, poverty, religious extremism, security personnel incapacitation, etc. as recommended by this study, the challenges of insecurity would be effectively surmounted