FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGES: AN IMPEDIMENT TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs 2) IN NIGERIA

Abstract

SDGs-2 is about the shared responsibility to ensure that every one has access to nutrition and affordable food. The heightened interest in food security is the result of a recognition that a number of important factors constitute a setback to the success of SDGs-2 in Nigeria. The main objective of the study is to identify the challenges to achieving Sustainable Development Goals on food security in Nigeria. The theoretical framework of the paper is Political Economy Theory by Karl Marx (1883-1883). Methodologically, the paper used secondary data, the study primarily drew evaluation and statistical information from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, National Bureau of Statistics, Nigerian Living Standard Survey, and SDGs Base line Reports. While the results have shown that the Nigerian government has embraced the idea of rolling out plans and programs to address the gaps in food security at one time or the other, little has been achieved in curbing insecurity in food. The findings from the study show that Nigeria has about 85 million hectares of land where almost everything can grow, currently produced 110,798 metric tons of seeds in 2022, which is a summation of some major seeds that are established in the formal seeds sector, has the manpower favorable for the advancement of Agriculture and to boost livestock as well as food security. The paper concludes that it is important government removes barriers that increases vulnerability to poverty and hunger by providing an integrated security strategy to address issues of security threats in the agricultural sector. The paper recommends that government should partner with key private agencies to increase investments in the agricultural sector by empowering small and medium scale farmers in particular with access to credits and modern tools.