How Food Secure are Households in Kano North in Pre-COVID-19 and during Covid-19 Lockdown

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic had negative impact on the activities of households in the entire globe, precisely food security status. The study aims to find how food secure households in Kano north are during COVID-19 lockdown pandemic as against the pre-COVID-19 period. The study uses primary data to draw a sample size of 160 household head respondents, almost the same size of respondents used in pre-COVID-19. The study used descriptive analysis and food security index to determine the level of food security status. Findings from the index reveal that pre-COVID-19 index was 0.7. At the same time, during the lockdown, the situation deteriorates to 0.6, suggesting that the impact of COVID-19 has significantly affected the food security status of the household in Kano north. Also, pre-COVID-19 revealed that per capita calorie requirement was 1,881 kcal against the 1,558 kcal during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, about 52% of the households were food secured at pre-COVID-19 pandemic as against the 32% during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends that government need to introduce measures or investment that are pro-poor to improve the food security status of households. The study, furthermore, recommend that less severe measures of total lockdown need to be put in place to allow farmers to go to farms while following all the measures of social and physical distance and putting face mask.