Policy considerations for a realistic approach to hunger in Nigeria

Hunger is usually caused by a break down in the food security mechanisms of a society and lack of purchasing power. In Nigeria, food shortages have become common since 1972, culminating in the food crises of the 1980s, made worse by the implementation of a macroeconomic economic adjustment policy in 1986. The paper confirms the hunger situation and presents evidence to show that it is of wider significance than hitherto acknowledged. The paper proposes policy options to tackle the situation and these include the development of agriculture to attain self-sufficiency in staple food production which must be backed by political will using a widely accepted framework and well articulated set of programmes and strategies borne out or consensus.