Food insecurity in Nigeria (and what we're doing to help)

Conflict within the country

Adding to this, there has been an escalation in violence from armed groups in parts of the country. Although ethnicity and religion play a role in these conflicts, they have been made significantly worse by competition for increasingly stretched resources as nomadic herders – who have lost their grazing lands because of the climate disasters – are forced to move in search of new pastures and enough water for their livestock.

Because of this, it is reported that at least 78,000 farmers in Nigeria have been forced to abandon their farmland. The violence has also made transporting crops unsafe for farmers which has caused problems with food supply chains in the country. 

What is Tearfund doing?

Tearfund and our local partners are responding in various ways to help make a difference to people in Nigeria facing food insecurity.

Timely cash assistance

Adaeze* is married with six children. She used to provide for her family through farming the large piece of land that they owned. But then Boko Haram militants invaded their community, killing and injuring many people – including Adaeze’s father, who died in the attack. 

The family fled to another village to find safety, but Adaeze says they had no access to farmland and no source of income.

When peace returned to their village, Adaeze and her family went back, but everything had been stolen or destroyed and they could no longer access their farmland. The family was struggling and only managed to eat one meal a day. 

Adaeze says, ‘We had to depend on whatever menial job my husband could get to get food on the table. When we had enough food, we only fed the children. All hope was lost. I was troubled and worried. It was scary. There was no one to help. I used to cry almost every night.’

Thanks to the giving of Tearfund supporters, our local partner was able to help by providing the family with cash assistance. 

‘I was very excited when I received and withdrew the money,’ Adaeze says. ‘Firstly, I bought food for my family and I used some for farming. The assistance came at the right time. It really made me feel happy and positive about the future, that my family and I can have food for it. Secondly, with the cash received, I acquired a piece of land for farming to grow crops for food and to sell so I can take care of other needs. I also bought books for my children. Finally, I have hope that things will be better from now, since we can get food without begging or depending on neighbours. Today, I am very grateful.’

Climate-resilient farming

For Abba, a husband and a father of four who relies on farming to provide for his family, support came in the form of training to help improve his crop yield. 

As the population has increased, the farming community where Abba’s family lives has needed more and more land to cultivate. This has led to trees and bushes being chopped down to make space, but this has brought further challenges. It is now really hard for people to find wood for building and to make fire, and the deforestation has also resulted in reduced soil quality and caused the stream that supplies the land with water to reduce in size. This, in turn, has meant that farmers use more chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

With the high costs he faced in his farming and the long distances he was having to go to find wood for cooking, Abba says ‘I felt stressed out trying to meet my family’s needs. The cost of fertilisers are on the increase and the farmlands are not producing as they used to with poor vegetative cover around the community.’

With many people in the community facing a similar situation to Abba, Tearfund, working with our local partner Rurcon, conducted training for 20 farmers in the area on climate-smart agriculture. 

New coping strategies

Farmers studied the health hazards of using chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and learnt how to make compost manure and biocides as cheaper, safer alternatives.

Ways of farming that can help reduce weeds – such as mulching – were discussed, and crop rotation was highlighted as an easy way of controlling insects that destroy crops in the ground.

The training also taught farmers how to store grains without using chemicals, as well as discussions about the impact of climate change and the need to adopt new coping strategies and find ways of farming that will not make the situation worse. 

Other input included livestock production, farming as a business and record keeping, which Abba says he found extremely helpful. 

Trees were also distributed and planted in Abba’s community.

‘I was able to cut the cost of purchasing chemical fertilisers and diversify my source of income and build up a tree planting culture,’ says Abba.

Now, Abba says he knows how to care for the environment by planting and nurturing trees around his house (and he has planted over 1,000 palm trees). He has also understood the importance of integrated farming and he has some chickens and goats. His costs have been reduced as he is able to use the organic droppings (from his animals) to reduce the amount of chemicals he applies on his farmland. This quickly improves the soil and its yield – which helps Abba have more money to meet his family’s needs. 

Abba also uses the knowledge he has gained to encourage and share with other members of his community.

‘This training I received has really helped me change the way I see things and how I work,’ he says. ‘I feel I will soon have multiple sources of income when my oil palm trees start proper production. I feel blessed and I thank God for his grace upon myself and my family.’

* Name has been changed for protection