No. 02-Productivity Growth and Food Security Among Maize-Based Farming Households in Nigeria

This study examined the effects of productivity growth on food security among maize-based farming households in Nigeria. Secondary data from Nigeria’s General Household Survey Panel was extracted for 572 maize-based farming household heads from the 2015/16 and 2018/19 waves. Data analysis involved use of descriptive statistics, total factor productivity growth calculations, the Markov probability transition matrix, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) food security measures and binary logit regression modelling. The average age of maize-based farmers was 50 years, the mean household consisted of 9 people and the average farm size was 1.4 hectares. Productivity growth between both periods was 0.9 percent. Most farmers (73.1 percent) transitioned from low productivity to no productivity between 2015/16 and 2018/19. Most households (59.3 percent) were food secure in 2015/16, while 52.1 percent of the households were food insecure in 2018/19. Productivity growth positively influenced the likelihood of being food secure, alongside household size, secondary and tertiary education levels and non-access to credit. More conclusively, productivity growth improved food security among maize-based farming households in Nigeria. Food security programs should therefore emphasize long-term productivity improvements and the attainment of secondary and tertiary education, rather than mere basic education, i

n addition to targeting young farmers and improving the production environment of rural areas to enhance productivity growth.

Keywords: Farming households, Food security, Maize-based, Productivity growth, Transition.