This miserable state of food availability in Nigeria vis- a-vis its massive and geometrically growing population estimated at over 193 million people in 2016 and projected to be the third most populated country in the world by 2050, calls for concern. Available statistics show that Nigeria is having food insecurity problems – insufficient food production per capita; low average dietary energy supply adequacy, that has been declining since 2013 and a high level of food deficits that has been on the increase since 2006. Due to these food deficits, over six million children in Nigeria under the age of five are stunted due to malnutrition, and the consumer price of foods has been high and increasing. The SWOT analyses in the study reveal the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of food sector performance in Nigeria. An interesting finding from the analysis, is that although significant revenue from crude oil exportation can be both a threat and opportunity for food security in the country, it is more of a threat – because the earnings from crude oil are used to finance food importation rather than investment in agriculture, out-competing the domestically produced
ones.
