Examining the Impacts of Boko-Haram Conflict and Food Security Status among Households in Kano Metropolis

Abstract

The extent to which conflict has impacted negatively to food security of households in Kano is of serious concern. The objective of this study is to examine the impacts of Boko-Haram conflict on food security status among households in Kano.  Primary data were drawn from a sample size of one hundred (100) household heads from Gwale and Kano municipal areas. The research investigated household food security status by using Food Security Index (FSI) and Binary regression. Result from the FSI divulges that 69% of the households are food secure, with daily per capita energy consumption of 3,086 kcal while binary regression shows that all the variables under conflict have a negative impact on households’ food status. Furthermore, food scarcity, market closure and high cost of foodstuff are significant at 10 percent, while unemployment and destruction of property are statistically significant at 1 percent. Households classified as food insecure adopt extremely severe coping strategies, severe coping strategies and less severe coping strategies in some cases. The study recommends that, extremely severe coping strategy to be replaced with the less severe, which can be reversible within a short period. While the study recommended that government should adopt short term and long-term measures in reducing conflict in the study areas, which directly affected the variables under conflict.