Impact of Food Security on Households’ Welfare in Nigeria

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Economics, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study examines the impact of food security on household welfare in Nigeria, using data from Afrobarometer Wave 9. Welfare is proxied by respondent’s perceived living conditions, while food security is measured by the frequency of going without food. Additional controls include income deprivation, perceptions of government economic management, a multidimensional deprivation index, and demographic and spatial characteristics. A generalized ordered logistic regression model (gologit2) is employed to account for the ordinal nature of welfare and to relax the proportional-odds assumption for covariates that violate it. The results indicate that food insecurity has a significant and negative impact on household welfare across all model specifications. Respondents who frequently go without food are substantially less likely to report satisfactory living conditions, confirming the welfare-depressing effect of hunger. Similarly, lack of cash income significantly reduces perceived welfare, whereas favorable perceptions of government economic management improve outcomes. Education, particularly secondary attainment, enhances welfare, while employment effects vary across thresholds. Spatial disparities persist, with respondents in the South East and South South zones reporting lower welfare relative to the North Central region. The findings underscore that food security is a critical determinant of well-being in Nigeria, influencing both material and subjective dimensions of welfare. Policy interventions should prioritize improving food access, stabilizing household incomes, and strengthening governance to bolster economic confidence. Region-specific programs and targeted social protection measures are essential to achieve inclusive and sustainable welfare improvements.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 04 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 05 December 2025

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