The Effect of Insecurity on Agricultural Investment in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria

This study examines how rising insecurity linked to banditry and farmer-herder conflicts has affected agricultural investment and food production in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria. Zamfara State has experienced an alarming escalation of armed banditry over the past five years, resulting in large-scale farm abandonment, displacement of rural communities, and disruption of food supply chains. Drawing on conflict and development theory alongside recent studies on agri-food systems under insecurity from 2020 to 2024, the study employs a descriptive survey design. A sample of 250 farmers, agribusiness operators, and local government agriculture officers across three local government areas is selected using stratified purposive sampling. Data are gathered through structured questionnaires and key informant interviews and analysed with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The study anticipates finding that pervasive insecurity has significantly deterred private investment in land preparation, irrigation infrastructure, and input procurement, resulting in food shortages and price inflation. It also examines how farmer-herder dialogue mechanisms and state government security interventions have partially mitigated agricultural disruptions. Recommendations will address conflict-sensitive agricultural policy design, community-based early warning systems, and the integration of peacebuilding strategies into agricultural development programming in Zamfara and neighbouring North West states. Keywords: insecurity, agricultural investment, banditry, Zamfara State, food production