The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Nigeria’s Food Security

Abstract

The world today, no doubt, is now more integrated than ever before. With the integration and interdependence of global economies, which globalisation has come to symbolise, virtually all aspects of human endeavour have been influenced significantly. Trade has grown significantly over the last few decades on a global scale. Food security remains the centre of focus in Nigeria's agricultural sector. For some decades now, with the introduction of the trade liberalization policy, Nigeria has experienced some level of food insecurity as a result of mindless importation of foodstuffs like rice, beans, sugar, and wheat, to mention a few. The Unequal Exchange Theory was adopted, and the paper employed a qualitative data collection approach, extensively dependent on an in-depth interview and secondary data. This paper attempts an analyzes of the impact of trade liberalization on food security in Nigeria. The findings of this paper shown that trade liberalization policy on agriculture has not improved food security in Nigeria. Rather, it has undermined food security. This owed to the fact that local food production has been on the decrease while food importation and dumping are on the increase. However, recommendations were made, among which is that, Nigeria should insist on the removal of export subsidies and domestic support enjoyed by agricultural producers of developed countries from their governments.