ISSN 2360-7963
Abstract
Climate variability remains a critical challenge to global and national food security, particularly in regions highly dependent on rainfed agriculture, such as Nigeria. This study investigates the nexus between climate variability and food security in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 450 copies of the structured questionnaire gathered were administered to farmers using stratified random sampling techniques. Data collected were analysed using frequency, percentages, Likert scale, and regression, and the results were presented on tables. Results of the analysis show that the majority (58.3%) of the respondents are male. A significant proportion of respondents (90%) believe that rising temperature and decrease in rainfall are occurring, hence resulting in extreme weather, thereby affecting food security. Regression analysis shows that a temperature increase (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) with a negative coefficient of 0.45 suggests that as temperatures increase, food security decreases. The negative impact of erratic rainfall (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) shows that, as rainfall becomes erratic, food security decreases. It is therefore recommended among others that farmers should integrate climate-smart agricultural practices, like water conservation techniques, to improve yields under changing climatic conditions.
Keywords: Climate Variability, Food Security, Nasarawa state, Nigeria