Agricultural Diversification for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical Evidence and Policy Provisions under Nigeria’s Agriculture Promotion Policy

Abstract

The limited diversity of sub-sectors’ contributions to Nigeria’s GDP and the undue emphasis on traditional crops at the detriment of high valued enterprises, coupled with ignorance and/or weak enlightenment, aptly justifies the need for agricultural diversification, as an affordable, and sustainable strategy for achieving food security in Africa. Using a case study in Nigeria, with focus on the Nation’s Agriculture Promotion Policy, this study empirically unearths the nexus between agricultural diversification and food security. Deploying primary and secondary data cum inferential statistics and content analytical review, the study affirmed the existence of food insecurity and low degree of enterprise diversification among the rural households. Not unexpected, enterprise diversification had a positive, though weak relationship with food security. The existing policy provision was also observed to be sufficiently robust to enhance the food security of Nigerians. These outcomes have obvious implications for the sub-Saharan African countries, given the similarity of circumstance. The study recommended the need for continuous household food security drive through targeted policy measures; innovative resource and enterprise combination orientation; encourage cooperative activities with the view to deepening awareness on enterprise combinations; deepen the food security and diversification strategies in line with the tenets of the national Agriculture Sector Road Map and regional development efforts, as detailed in the African Development Bank high 5 strategy for Africa.