Food Insecurity and the Rising Urbanisation in Africa: Can ICT Revolution Bridge the GAP?

Isaac B Oluwatayo,Ayodeji O Ojo

doi:10.22610/jebs.v10i1(j).2104

Abstract

The task of reducing food insecurity in Africa is very challenging. This is because of the changing conditions such as adverse climate change impacts. This study examined food insecurity, urbanisation and ICT in Africa. The paper employed a combination of both secondary and historical information obtained from different sources (UNHCR, FAO, Mo Ibrahim Foundation etc). Analytical method used include descriptive statistics such as charts. Food security indices in Africa is alarming and disturbing. One in four people in Africa do not have access to food in adequate quantities and one in five African children are underweight. African agriculture is rendered unattractive by low productivity hence the exodus of labour from rural to urban areas. Africa is the most rapidly urbanising continent in the world with enabling factors comprising of infrastructure deficits in rural areas, dearth of employment opportunities and glamour of city life. However, Africaâ€™s urban centres are not immune to the challenges inducing rural-urban migration in the first place. In fact, youth unemployment in Africa is 6 times higher in urban areas than in rural areas. About 72percent of urban dwellers live in slums with the most of them having no access to basic amenities. These culminated in what is regarded in literature as â€˜urbanisation of povertyâ€™. Migrants are generally scapegoated as the causes of crimes, violence and even unemployment in urban areas. Therefore, they are subjected to sub-human living conditions. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is particularly critical to the achievement of food security in Africa. This is because of the huge gap between markets and farmers which it is capable of filling. The paper therefore recommends increased but monitored investments in infrastructure in Africa in order to make rural areas more attractive and discourage rural-urban migration. There is also the need to provide favourable micro and macro-environment for businesses to grow especially in rural Africa.

Highlights

Background of the Study: Food security occupies a central position in the global policy discourse (Ruhiiga, 2013)
It is the second goal in the Sustainable Development Goals which is to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Urbanisation can be viewed as the process by which rural areas are transformed into urban areas which involves population rise stemming from migration and natural expansion (Waugh, 1990)

Summary

Introduction

Background of the Study: Food security occupies a central position in the global policy discourse (Ruhiiga, 2013). Low agricultural and food productivity in Africa is on the other hand caused by unfavourable climatic conditions, land degradation and natural disasters such as drought especially in the Horn of Africa, desertification and desert encroachment in other parts of Africa (IFAD, 2011; IFPRI, 2012) This has resulted in increased food prices thereby pushing access to food beyond the reach of the poor. There is the challenge of multidimensional nature of food security and its relationship with issues such as climate change, trade and development that policy makers have to resolve (Masters, 2008). Climate change worsens food insecurity in Africa (Lwasa, 2014) This occurs through delay in the onsets and early cessation of rains, rising sun intensity and wind storms leading to crop failure, sub-optimal production level, high post-harvest losses and conflicts (Oluwatayo and Ojo, 2016). In West Africa, about 4,749, 000 people were food insecure between March and May 2015 (FAO, 2015)

The Food Insecurity and Urbanisation Nexus in Africa

Findings

Conclusion and Recommendations