Fourteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

This study covered the period from1995-2022 and was conducted through assessment of the socio-economic status of the respondents; analysis of variations in the trends of climate variables and that of production of stable food (millet, maize, rice and guinea corn); analysis of the relationship between climate variables and production of staple food and investigation of perceived drivers of food insecurity in North Eastern Nigeria. The study adopted survey and analytical designs in its methods. Data on climate variables and food production (1995-2022) were obtained from Nigerian Meteorological Agency and National Bureau of Statistics. A total of 450 farmers were sampled, using multistage sampling for the collection of data. Firstly, three states (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) out of the six states that constitute the North East geopolitical zone were purposively selected for the study based on the level of vulnerability to both climate change and food insecurity. Results show that the trends in climate variables are decreasing except maximum temperature that is increasing. The relationship between climate variables and production of staple foods showed that only rainfall and maximum temperature significantly affect staple foods production (calculated t > table value). Millet production had strong positive relationship with rainfall (r = 0.507) but strong negative relationship with maximum temperature. Findings indicated that climate change is key driver of food insecurity in the region but economic factors ought to weigh it. Urgent and robust economic empowerment programs that will promote income and means of livelihoods in the study area among others were recommended.