Comprehensive Review of Growing Food Insecurity in Africa in Terms of Causes, Effects and Solutions: The Nigerian Example

Authors

  • Wasiu Olayinka Fawole Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, 07070 Dumlupınar/Antalya
  • Burhan Özkan Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, 07070 Dumlupınar/Antalya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v5i6.629-636.1113

Keywords:

Food Insecurity, people, undernourishment, Africa, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the situation of food insecurity in Africa with special emphasis on Nigeria with a view to giving the picture of the trend with respect to causes, effects and possible solutions. The study employed secondary data sourced from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and subsequently compared the results with other previously conducted studies on food security status in Nigeria and few other African countries. Data for the trend of food security between 1990 and 2014 were sourced from FAO. The findings of this study combined with other previously conducted studies revealed that the food insecurity in Nigeria is not only becoming worrisome but frightening. According to the FAO three commonly employed indicators (prevalence of undernourishment, prevalence of food insecurity and number of undernourished people), it was observed that food insecurity in Nigeria continued to rise from 2009 according to the results of the annual survey till 2014. The implication of this is that if the trend is not halted as quickly as possible it is a time bomb that may pose grave security risks and danger to the country and Africa as a whole being the most populous black nation and it is almost certain that any destabilization suffered as a result of hunger in Nigeria is a destabilization of the entire sub-Saharan Africa region considering her enormous population and the strategic place she occupies in the economy of the region especially the western Africa. This paper made some far-reaching recommendations that could halt the trend if judiciously implemented.

Author Biographies

Wasiu Olayinka Fawole, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, 07070 Dumlupınar/Antalya

Agricultural Economics, Researcher

Burhan Özkan, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, 07070 Dumlupınar/Antalya

Agricultural Economics, Professor

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Published

12.07.2017

How to Cite

Fawole, W. O., & Özkan, B. (2017). Comprehensive Review of Growing Food Insecurity in Africa in Terms of Causes, Effects and Solutions: The Nigerian Example. Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, 5(6), 629–636. https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v5i6.629-636.1113

Issue

Section

Agricultural Economics