Study of the Impact of Boko Haram Insurgency on Food Security in Yobe State

The Boko Haram insurgency in North East Nigeria has devastated agricultural systems and displaced farming communities, creating a food security crisis that compounds the direct violence and constitutes a secondary security threat to millions of civilians in Yobe State. This study examined the impact of Boko Haram insurgency activities on food security in Damaturu, Potiskum, and Nguru Local Government Areas, Yobe State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 240 household heads from displacement-affected communities using multistage sampling. FAO food security indicators (availability, access, utilisation, stability) were assessed alongside conflict exposure and displacement history. Results showed that 71.3 percent of households were food insecure, with 38.8 percent experiencing severe food insecurity. Direct agricultural land loss through insurgent occupation or fear of field attack was reported by 64.2 percent. Market disruption from conflict activities had increased food prices beyond affordability for 72.9 percent of households. Children's nutritional status was severely affected in 44.2 percent of families. Food aid dependency had become the primary food source for 58.8 percent of respondents. The study concludes that insurgency has created a structural food insecurity crisis requiring long-term, not merely emergency, responses. Recommendations include conflict-sensitive agricultural rehabilitation, integrated food security-security programming, and market stabilisation mechanisms in post-conflict Yobe communities.

Keywords: Boko Haram, food security, Yobe State, insurgency impact, North East Nigeria