A review of food and nutrition security in Nigeria

The food and nutrition security situation in Nigeria is alarming as several factors exacerbate food insecurity in Nigeria. Dubbed as the 'poverty capital of the world, Nigeria's poverty rates are high. The country's population is over 200 million people, with more than half living below the poverty line. Poverty is closely associated with a lack of dietary diversity, malnutrition, and food insecurity. Volatility in food prices, fluctuations in the local currency's (naira's) value, and high inflation rates pose stress on domestic and imported food prices in Nigeria. Also, prolonged conflicts in Nigeria due to the Boko Haram insurgency and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have continued to pose a danger and misery to millions of lives-exacerbating food vulnerabilities and social insecurity in the northeastern part of Nigeria. Similarly, farmers and herdsmen's conflicts limit agricultural production and yield. As a result of limited farm production, import bans intended to improve local farm production and favor the local economy have not achieved that purpose. Instead, it has driven up domestic market food prices. Using the UNICEF's framework of malnutrition, this paper discusses factors contributing to food insecurity in Nigeria. Some factors discussed include the continuous conflicts caused by insurgency in northeast Nigeria, high poverty rates, inadequate sanitation facilities, improper food transportation and handling facilities, malnutrition, and the recent burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.