Covid-19 and food security as catalyst of conflict among rural households in Nigeria

A study of Ilaje community, Ondo state

Bibliographic Data

ID12936906
AuthorsTosin Seun Adebayo (Afe Babalola University, corresponding author), Logo Oluwamayowa (Ekiti State University)
Year2021
Volume13
Issue4
Pages169-185
Publication date2021-02-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1759-6599 • E-ISSN: 2042-8715
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/jacpr-06-2020-0518
OpenAlexW3130400709
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited17

Purpose The compulsory lockdown issued by the Nigeria Government to curb the spread of the virus has undoubtedly negatively affected the livelihoods of households. As a result, many have lost their sources of income and have no other means for survival. It is important to note that it has the potential of triggering violent conflicts and civil unrest as a popular African adage goes as thus: “A hungry man is an angry man”. Unfortunately, little attention has been given, neither has extant literature adequately covered the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as it directly affects households in a rural community in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This study proceeded from on both a qualitative and quantitative method and adopted a mixed-method and case study research design. Data for this study was collected through primary and secondary data. Primary data for this study was collected through a questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGD). The questionnaire used for this study was a validated instrument designed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to measure food security amongst households. The USDA household’s instrument was used and then modified to access the food security status of households during the lockdown. Findings Findings from this study revealed that households, in general, were categorised as having “very low food security” during the lockdown as they testified to all the food insecure conditions. In general, the food intake of household members reported irregular eating patterns as the household lacked the money to purchase food. This study further indicated that a high number of respondents see violence as a means of attaining food. Extreme volatility in their inability to access food as a result of food shortages and the inability to benefit from government palliatives has been found to trigger incidents of conflict and malnutrition on households. Research limitations/implications This method was sampling method was adopted because of the compulsory and constitutional lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 which limited the movement of the researcher to other households in the community which proved to be limited during the time this research was carried limiting the scope of the sample size. Originality/value This research adopted mixed-method research and was written by the researchers who did the study. This paper was conducted during the mandatory lockdown issued by the Federal Government in Nigeria with to understand the impact of the mandatory lockdown on rural households using Ilaje local of Ondo state as a case study while establishing a link between food security and conflict

Agriculture · Business · Descriptive statistics · Economic growth · Economics · Focus group · Food insecurity · Food security · Geography · Government (linguistics · Livelihood · Political science · Qualitative property · Socioeconomics · Unrest · Agricultural risk and resilience · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Marketing

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