Study of the Economic Impact of Insecurity on Agricultural Productivity in Zamfara State

Banditry and insecurity in Zamfara State have directly disrupted agricultural production, and quantifying their economic impacts provides an evidence base for both security and agricultural recovery policy in North West Nigeria. This study examined the economic impact of insecurity on agricultural productivity among farm households in Maru, Tsafe, and Bungudu Local Government Areas, Zamfara State. A cross-sectional survey of 260 farming households categorised as high-insecurity-exposure and low-insecurity-exposure was conducted. Data covered farm size, crop output, input use, displacement incidence, income, and insecurity-related production losses. OLS regression compared productivity outcomes controlling for farm size, education, and inputs. Results showed that households in high-insecurity zones produced 41.3 percent less output per hectare than those in lower-risk areas after controlling for other variables. Farm abandonment affected 34.6 percent of high-insecurity households. Fertiliser use was 58 percent lower in insecure zones due to disrupted supply chains and fear of transportation. Income losses averaged N240,000 per household annually in high-insecurity areas. Seasonal migration in pursuit of safer farming areas disrupted household labour. The study concludes that insecurity constitutes a major structural constraint on agricultural productivity in Zamfara State. Recommendations include security force deployment to farming corridors, state-managed input delivery to insecure zones, community-level farmer protection associations, and financial support for displaced farming households to re-establish production.

Keywords: insecurity, agricultural productivity, Zamfara State, banditry, farm household income