FOOD INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CONFLICT ON FOOD SECURITY

Food insecurity is a major problem in Nigeria. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
estimates that Nigeria’s food security has worsened in the past 15 years. This paper examines
the impacts of different factors that jeopardize the Nigerian food security situation. According
to previous literature, there are mostly three factors that affect food security; climate change,
economic development and violent conflict. Nigeria is the chosen case study because all the
above mentioned factors play a key role in the country; it is affected by climate change, the
economy is fluctuating and there has been the Boko Haram insurgency going on since 2009.
This paper aims, with the help of the concept of food security, to analyze these factors to see
whether and to what extent they influence food insecurity in Nigeria. This paper uses a mixedmethods approach. Quantitative data are retrieved from several data-bases that give
measurements on food security, climate change, economy, and conflict. Qualitative data are
reports and interviews that were conducted with Nigerian NGOs. Cautious findings show that
all three factors can lead to food insecurity and, therefore, can explain why there is food
insecurity in Nigeria. Finally, this paper concludes and confirms the results of existing research
in the case of Nigeria.