Effects of Urban Food Insecurity on Household in Nigeria: A Case Study of Minna Metropolis

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of food insecurity in Minna metropolis using a set of household data and index of food insecurity . To determine the impact of food insecurity, structured questionnaire were administered on 150 heads of households that were randomly selected from different social background. The report shows that 72 percent of the respondents were categorized as suffering from food insecurity with 25 percent of them falling below the minimal calorie requirement that would guarantee their survival. The causes of food insecurity in Minna metropolis include among other factors; high cost of food items, the increase in inflation rate, high cost of transportation, lack of access, unaffordability as a result of very low income, lack of social capital etc. The consequences of this include: high malnutrition level and ill health. Solution such as urban farming, efficient distribution network, macroeconomics stability, good governance most especially in the provision of farming incentives, social capital given its importance as a mediator in adequate and efficient distribution of food in the metropolis.