Neoliberal Reform And Food Security In Ebonyi State, 1999 -2013

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the interface between neoliberal reform and food security in Ebonyi

State, between 1999 and 2013. While observing that agriculture had in the past contributed to

both national and state prosperity and food security, the study also noted sharp decline in the

performance which coincided with the Nigeria’s implementation of neoliberal policies under

civil rule in 1999. Most of the policies targeted the agricultural sector, include: deregulation of

agricultural marketing activities, the State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy

(SEEDS) etc. It is however, obvious that food security is indispensable for the survival of

mankind, and neoliberal reform has implicated its availability and affordability in Nigeria. Thus,

to investigate this, Marxian Instrumentalist theory was used as our framework of analysis and

data were generated through qualitative method of data collection with reliance with secondary

sources of data like books, journal articles etc. Our method of data analysis which involved

given a qualitative descriptive explanation to statistical data, guided our understanding of the

study, and this was supported by the adoption of One-Group Pre-test- post-test research design

for controlling the variables under study. The findings of this study were clearly articulated in

our conclusion and provided the ground for validating our hypotheses that: (i) the adoption of

agricultural trade liberalization in Ebonyi State, between 1999 and 2013 failed to enhance staple

food affordability, and (ii), government’s ineffective implementation of SEEDS in Ebonyi State

between 2004 and 2007 accounted for low agricultural productivity in the state. Arising from the

above findings, the study therefore, recommended above all, that the formulation of policies and

programmes should gear towards increasing domestic food production, as well as ensuring

income redistribution in the State.