NIGERIA–FAO COLLABORATION AND FOOD SECURITY OUTCOMES, 1978–2023: IMPACTS, CONSTRAINTS, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Nigeria’s persistent food insecurity remains one of the most critical development challenges confronting the country despite its vast agricultural potential. Since the late 1970s, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has collaborated with successive Nigerian governments to enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen institutional capacity, and improve food and nutrition security. This article examines the impacts and limitations of Nigeria–FAO collaboration between 1978 and 2023. Using a qualitative historical research approach, the study draws on documentary evidence, FAO evaluation reports, government publications, and scholarly literature. The findings indicate that FAO interventions contributed significantly to agricultural development through support for smallholder farmers, natural resource management, fisheries development, pest control, and institutional strengthening. However, the sustainability of these interventions has been constrained by insecurity, farmer–herder conflicts, climate change, weak governance structures, macroeconomic instability, and persistent regional inequality. The article argues that long-term food security in Nigeria requires integrated strategies that combine agricultural development with peacebuilding, climate adaptation, and institutional reform. By situating FAO interventions within Nigeria’s broader political economy, the study contributes to debates on development partnerships and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa.