FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the dreadful realities of the 21^st century and it has made scientists to raise the need to drop global temperatures further by 0.5 °C which will make a significant difference in some regions of the world, particularly developing countries that are faced with the greater threat of climate change. Nigeria is highly vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change because its landmass of 923,768 sq. km, cut across diverse climatic regions and this has affected its food production activities due to the deforestation problem, desertification, soil degradation, erosion, flooding, general habitat loss, depletion of natural resources etc. And food security can never be achieved when there is no conducive environment and favourable climate conditions for food production. This paper therefore attempts to examine the extent to which continuous climate change has affected food production and how institutional frameworks have addressed or address the current situation in ensuring food security in Nigeria. The research employed qualitative method on a content analysis. The paper frames its arguments in the human security paradigm. Major findings show that environmental degradation, desertification caused by climate change has greatly retarded agricultural production in Africa and in relation to Nigeria; climate change has increased food insecurity in Nigeria. The paper recommends that government should be proactive in tackling the menace of climate change towards food security, there should be reduction of emission of greenhouse gases by stopping deforestation, the use of high yield and disease tolerant crops, and also crops adaptable to high level weather conditions, farmers should be advised to cultivate on time before raining seasons with a view to increasing food production and invest in order to mitigate food insecurity.