Fostering Food Security through Enhanced Fertilizer Production: Examining Policy Frameworks

Abstract

Agriculture is an important tool in poverty alleviation especially in rural areas whose economy mainly relies on agriculture as a source of income. Nevertheless, Nigeria is to face the food security crisis due to its agriculture sector which it heavily depends, but food consumption is imported rather than self-produced. Projections indicate that by 2030 Nigeria’s population will double the 2006 estimation which necessitates increased food production to meet the growing and urbanizing population needs and to open possibilities of exports. Apart from this, the country is faced with soil degradation as a result of inappropriate agricultural practices; erosion and gully, deforestation as well as climate change. It endangers the once dominant subsistent farm economy. The problems rose above show that there is an urgent need to review the role of fertilizers in food production for better food security. Proper execution of fertilizer policies becomes a powerful tool towards increasing agricultural production, malnutrition reduction and poverty alleviation through lowering food prices. Nevertheless, demand and supply factors like low farmers’ incomes, high market prices due the limited availability of fertilizer and public policy response also known as price incentives influence the low usage of fertilizers in Nigeria. In view of above problems, there is an urgent need to have a more holistic approach to sustainably raise agricultural productivity in Nigeria with a view to averting food shortage. Keywords: Food security, Fertilizer production, Agricultural productivity, Poverty alleviation, Policy frameworks