Declining Rural Population in Nigeria: Implication for Food Security

Okijie Supper Roland

doi:10.59413/ajocs/v4.i1.4

Authors

Okijie Supper Roland Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59413/ajocs/v4.i1.4

Keywords:

Agriculture, Arable Land, Food Security, Crops, Livestock, Rural-Urban Migration

Abstract

This study is geared towards investigating the influence of rural population growth on food production in Nigeria from 1961 to 2018. The data was analyzed using the Johhansen cointegration test, ordinary least squares (OLS), dynamic (OLS), and fully modified OLS. The findings portrayed that a long-term link exists between food production and rural population growth in Nigeria. From the dynamic OLS, which is the lead model, it was observed that the influence of rural populations on food production has been negative and significant. This negative effect is linked to the continuous rural-urban migration that has left agriculture in the hands of the elderly. To curb this, the paper suggested that by making agriculture attractive through aggressive mechanization and the provision of inputs, the rural population will be able to accelerate food production and ensure food sufficiency in the country.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdulrahaman, S. F. (2013). Population Growth and Food Security in Nigeria, 2010-2012. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review (Nigerian Chapter), Vol. 1, No. 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12816/0003624

Adama, I.J., Asaleye, A.J., Oye, A.J., Ogunjobi, O.J. (2018). Agricultural Production in Rural Communities: Evidence from Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, (Volume IX, Summer), 3(27), 428 – 438. https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v9.3(27).04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14505//jemt.v9.3(27).04

Effiong, U. E. and Okijie, S. R. (2022). Rural-Urban Polarization and the Sustainable Development of Rural Communities in Nigeria. Social Science and Humanities Research, 5(4), 65 – 81. http://www.gphjournal.org/index.php/ssh/article/view/591

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (2016). The Agriculture Promotion Policy (2016 – 2020): Building on the Successes of the ATA, Closing Key Gaps. Policy and Strategy Document, Nigeria Agric-Sector Policy Road Map.

Food Agricultural Organization (2017). The Future of Food and Agriculture – Trends and Challenges. FAO, Rome.

Food Agricultural Organization (2022). Nigeria Agriculture at a Glance. https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a-glance/en/ (Retrieved on 01/07/2022).

Ikelegbe, O. O. and Edokpa, D. A. (2013). Agricultural Production, Food and Nutrition Security in Rural Benin, Nigeria. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 13(5), 8388 – 8400. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.60.12585

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (2017). Crop News – Cassava. Available at https://www.iita.org/cropsnew/cassava/

Kanu, J. E. and Ukonze, I. (2018). Rural Development as a Panacea for Rural–Urban Migration in Nigeria. Arts and Humanities Open Access Journal, 2(5), 241‒244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15406/ahoaj.2018.02.00065

Mekuria W. The Link Between Agricultural Production and Population Dynamics in Ethiopia: A Review. Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research, 8(4), 348‒353. https://doi.org/10.15406/apar.2018.08.00336 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15406/apar.2018.08.00336

Mеshach, Z. (2018). Food Security in Nigeria: A Case study of President Buhari’s Agricultural Policy (2015-2018). Journal of Economics, Management & Social Science, 4(4), 264 – 275.

Oguntegbe, K. F., Okoruwa, V. O., Obi-Egbedi, O. and Olagunju, K. O. (2019). Population Growth Problems and Food Security in Nigeria. SSRN Electronic Journal. Available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3330999 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3330999

Okijie, S. R. and Effiong, U. E. (2021). Agricultural Development and Food Importation in Nigeria: An Insight Towards Achieving Food Security. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI), 10(6), 1 – 11. http://www.ijhssi.org/vol10-issue6.html

Olomola, A. S. and Nwafor, M. (2018). Nigeria Agriculture Sector Performance Review, 2017. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327666294

Otsuka, K. (2013). Food Insecurity, Income Inequality, and the Changing Comparative Advantage in World Agriculture. Agricultural Economics, 44, 7 – 18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12046

Satterthwaite, D., McGranahan, G. and Tacoli, C. (2010). Urbanization and its Implications for Food and Farming. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci., 365(1554), 2809–2820. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0136 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0136

Wegren, S. K., Elvestad, C. (2018). Russia’s Food Self-Sufficiency and Food Security: An Assessment. Post-Communist Economics, 30, 565 – 587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14631377.2018.1470854

World Bank (2021). World Development Indicators. World Bank, Washington D.C.

World Bank (April, 2022). Understanding poverty: Agriculture and food. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/overview (Retrieved on 01/07/2022).