Insurgency and Food Security in Ibadan: An Impact Assessment

In recent times Nigeria has been plagued by insurgency in the North-East - a major food producing region and the country is apparently drifting into food insecurity. Boko-Haram insurgency in the North-East has affected food security by creating food shortages, which disrupt both, input markets and output markets, thus deterring food production, commercialization and stock management. This has dramatically changed the levels of agricultural production of the region that was known to have comparative advantage in the production of appreciable numbers of food crops for the nation. This research examined the impact of insurgency on food security in Ibadan; identified how insurgency has affected food chain supply and examined the coping strategies being employed by traders. Qualitative research design was used in the study.  Interview guide and observation instruments were employed for data collection. The interview guide was administered on purposively selected sample at Bodija market. The interview guide was structured to elicit data relating to food availability before and during insurgency, and was administered on thirty selected beans and onion traders. Direct observation was also employed by the researcher to assess, among other things, the physical condition of the market and the condition of the commodities under study. Data collected was analyzed using transcription. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data generated from the questionnaire administered. Transcription was used for analyzing data generated from the interview guide. Comments were made according to the perception of the researcher based on observation. The findings show that insurgency in the North-East has reduced food availability in Ibadan. In order to live through difficult times traders have resulted to coping strategies involving the use of indigenous Northerners as food suppliers or middlemen, reduction in supply due to insufficient capital, joint purchase of commodities by traders, selling of non-essential assets to boost capital and concentration on commodities with minimum handling risk. Recommendations were made: confidence building through empathy and advocacy, improved government presence in the North-East, empowerment, local production of new crops, revitalization of the state grain reserve, etc.