FOOD SECURITY AND EFFECTIVE FOOD STORAGE IN NIGERIA: THE PLACE OF GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

Abstract

The paper discusses the importance of agriculture to a people, its economy and its place at
achieving food security for nations, Nigeria inclusive. Furthermore, it talked about food security
and insecurity and its indices. It delved into prospects for increased agricultural production and
how this can be achieved. Again, it discussed efforts that have been put in place by past
Nigerian Nigeria governments at meeting food need of Nigerians and making the country food
secured. It maintained that food shortages in Nigeria are due not primarily to underproduction
but agreed that more crops should be grown to meet production shortfall. The study adopt
secondary source of data, and also the paper indicted that lack of adequate postharvest
practices as the chief bane of food security in Nigeria and posits that more should be done to
see that food are adequately stored after they are produced to nip wastages and scarcity in
the bud. Finally, it recommended that public policy makers must as a matter of urgency see
food as component of welfarism, and as such develop sufficient political will to achieve (i)
increased food production; (ii) evolve food policy and (iii) eventually attain food security for
all. And also agricultural support programmes, projects, and research institutes that have
Nigerian Stored Products been put in place be spurred towards stepping up production and do,
even much more at storage.