Constraints to Achieving Household Food Security in North Central Nigeria

This study identified constraints militating against the attainment of household food security among three ethnic groups in North Central Nigeria in 2011. A sample of 340 households was interviewed using structured questionnaires. Factor analysis was used to isolate and name the critical factors influencing the attainment of household food security in the region. Findings revealed that economic, governance, institutional and technological constraints hindered the achievement of household food security in the study area. While the economic factors included climatic change and variability (0.57), shortage of farm labour (0.55), limited access to farm land (0.57); the institutional factors were poor market access (0.56), weak support services (0.48), poor nutrition education (0.48) and poor sanitation (0.44). The governance factors included political problems (0.51), rapid population growth rate (0.43) and low crop yield (0.43) while the technological factors were lack of access to clean water (0.43), inadequacy and lack of access to improved agricultural inputs (0.42) and lack of access to labour saving devices (0.41). Attaining household food security in North Central Nigeria is still a mirage. Therefore, governments at the local and state levels should design and implement short term and long term programmes in agriculture value chain to boost food production and productivity and enhance family income for improved household food security.