CONFLICT CONTINUUM AND FOOD SECURITY IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA: REFLECTIONS ON KEY ISSUES AND POLICY RECOMMENDATION

This study investigates the various obstacles to food security in Northwestern Nigeria to pinpoint their root causes. The methodology used for the study was a hybrid of quantitative and qualitative methods using primary and secondary sources. The study also conducted Key Informant Interviews with pertinent parties to contextualize the issue. According to the study, banditry has a negative impact on the nutritional status and food security of rural households in the study area. The result also demonstrates that banditry, which damaged food storage facilities and disrupted existing food supply chains, jeopardized agriculture, the main source of income in the northwest region, negatively affecting the quality of food in the area and across the nation. Because of their dread of being harmed, most farmers avoid going to their farms. For the region's farm fields to be safe and accessible, the study suggests, among other things, that security specialists be stationed and deployed in these areas. The government also needs to make sure that rural areas have access to basic services including social services, infrastructure, and other essentials of life.