CAPABILITY OF AGRARIAN REVOLUTION TOWARDS ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA

1.1 Introduction

Food security is the availability of sufficient world food supply of fundamental commodities at all times to enable stable growth in food consumption while offsetting the volatility in production and pricing (United Nations Agriculture Agency, 2017). Demand and access concerns were added to advanced definitions of food security understanding. Food security occurs when all people have physical and economic access to enough, safe, and nutritious dietary to fulfill their nutritional needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life at all times, according to the World Food Summit's closing report (United Nations Agriculture Agency, 2017).

Similarly, FAO (2004) defines food insecurity as a state in which individuals do not have secure access to adequate amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development, as well as an active and healthy life. It might be caused by a lack of food, insufficient purchasing capacity, incorrect distribution, or insufficient food utilization at the home level.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Nigeria's situation on food security is highly precarious and pernicious as a significant percentage of the Nigerian population is left with only the bilious taste of poverty (Attah, 2012 et al). Over the years the agricultural sector has been the most consistent sector contributing to the growth and development of the economy of most developing nations; in Nigeria for instance since the oil boom back in the 1970s. The federal government of Nigeria has neglected the agricultural sector of Nigeria; little or no funds have been are allocated to this sector. The over dependency in the oil sector of Nigeria has it shortcomings; when there is fluctuation in the oil price, so does the economy of Nigeria fluctuate.

The federal government of Nigeria and her team came together to reverse the ugly occurrences by attempting to begin implementing market-oriented reforms designed to diversify economic growth in 2008; although the process was reported to be slow but report claim that the nation is undergoing a state of transformation from subsistence farming to business-oriented agriculture designed to once again become a substantial portion of the nation’s GDP. The federal government of Nigeria through IFDC redemption clerks prepares vouchers for farmers in Taraba State during the 2012 Fertilizer Voucher Program as a motivating factor to enhance the consistency in the practice of agriculture.

According to Calestous Juma (2009), he stated that making agricultural sector a priority for national development could yield great benefit, he went on to say that the aim is particularly in achieving food security and reducing hunger; increasing incomes and reducing poverty level of a nation; advancing the human development agenda in health and education; and reversing environmental damage.

According to (Kydd, 2002) stated that in most developing countries, decision planners and their field workers are usually faced with the issue of how to increase and improve yield without degrading the soil and water resources; they are also faced with the problem on how to meet the production targets as regards the increase the prices of farm input costs and foreign exchange. He went on to say that the people living in the rural areas are more likely to hold a smaller part of agriculture as farmers, labourers, marketers’ transporters, and other agricultural services to households depends only on agriculture for livelihood.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Capability of Agrarian Revolution Towards Achieving Food Security.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that due to over dependency of Nigeria on oil even as there is great fluctuation in the oil price of the country. Nigeria as a country has experienced failure in their pursuit for agricultural revolution due to political rivalry in Nigeria; which in turns developed into civil war from 1967 to 1970.

The desire to survive the onslaught of the “Biafrans” made the federal government of Nigeria under the ruler-ship of General Yakubu Gowon to search for any available means to finance the war against the Biafrans; the only way out was to increase the oil prospecting to the detriment of steady growth and development of agriculture; this continued up to the mid 60s.

According to Schafer (2002) stated that the major characteristics of the chronic and political instability among others include the following:

1. Existence of high susceptibility to the rate of violence;
2. Forced displacement; refugees and internally displaced people;
3. Limitation to the right of the citizens of the country; and
4. Livelihoods highly vulnerable to external shocks existence of serious poverty.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between the agrarian revolution and the achievement of food security in Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the effect of change in political administration on the achievement of agricultural revolution in Nigeria;
2. To examine the effect of the agrarian revolution on food security in Nigeria;
3. To investigate on the factors affecting agricultural development in Nigeria;
4. To examine the roles of agrarian revolution in the growth and development of the Nigeria economy; and
5. To proffer solution to the factors affecting the effective implementation of agricultural revolution program in Nigeria.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What is the effect of the agrarian revolution on food security in Nigeria?
• What are the factors affecting agricultural development in Nigeria?
• What is the effect of change in political administration on the achievement of agricultural revolution in Nigeria?
• What are the roles of agrarian revolution in the growth and development of the Nigeria economy?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Agrarian revolution has no significant effect on food security in Nigeria
• H1: Agrarian revolution has significant effect on food security in Nigeria

Hypothesis Two

• H0: Change in political administration has no significant impact on the achievement of agricultural revolution in Nigeria
• H1: Change in political administration has significant impact on the achievement of agricultural revolution in Nigeria

1.7 Significance of Study

The research work will be of immense benefit to the nation and its citizens, the federal government of Nigeria, the state, the ministry of agriculture of Nigeria, the rural and the urban areas of Nigeria, the farmers, traders; the study will also be of great importance to the growth and development of Nigeria.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Capability of Agrarian Revolution towards Achieving Food Security in Nigeria.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

Food Security: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life

Agrarian Revolution: The Agricultural Revolution was a period of technological improvement and increased crop productivity that occurred during the 18th and early 19th centuries in Europe. In this lesson, learn the timeline, causes, effects and major inventions that spurred this shift in production.