Hunger and Anger in the Land: Achieving National Security through Food Security in Nigeria
Publisher: Budapest International Research and Critics Institute
Author(s): Ojo-Eyitope Esther Anike
Date: 2019
Topics: Conflict Causes, Conflict Prevention, Renewable Resources
Countries: Nigeria
It is a common parlance to say that “a hungry man is an angry man”. This underscores meetinga basic physiological requirementof all humans, especially food, as an antidote to violence (insecurity) in the society. Like in most sub-Saharan African nations, it is vague to concur that mineral resource dysfunction resulting in advent of the war, conflict and national insecurityare the bane of the agricultural sector and food supplyin Nigeria. This paper therefore attempted to study the nexus between food and security towards a peaceful Nigerian society. Food is proxy by food security in four components and nationalsecurity is proxy by non-military four dimensions and forms.Adopting purposive sampling of secondary data and information from literature, published reports on the variables; analyzed using qualitative content analysis of the textual data, the study revealed that amongst/between individuals and or group,food security being an important nugget, there is existing nexus with national security. It concluded that socioeconomic and political stability (national security) in conflict regions in Nigeria is contingent on supplying a basic human need: food. It recommended that including food security issues in security strategic policy is essential to address national insecurity and instability in Nigeria.