FROM FARMS TO OIL FIELDS: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF IMPACT ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURE FOR FOOD SECURITY AND WELLNESS IN YORUBALAND, NIGERIA
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Date
2025-01
Authors
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Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Educatio College of Humanities, Education and Law, kadua State Universit, Kaduna, Nigeriatsd
Abstract
The truism ‘food for the stomach’ and the ancient proverb ‘health is wealth’ have become increasingly poignant in Nigeria, where the quest for food security and wellness is beset by formidable obstacles. This study investigates the decline of Nigeria's agricultural sector and explores the factors that compromise sustainable food systems and wellness. Using Yorubaland as a major reference, the findings are as follows: i) In the pre-colonial era, agriculture drove Nigeria's economy, generating more than 70% of its income. ii) By the early 1970s, Nigeria's economy shifted from agriculture to oil, with oil exports reaching 74.4% of the total exports in 1971. iii) The oil boom's success came at the expense of agriculture and rural economies, but proved short-lived. This paper acknowledges past efforts to revitalize Nigerian agriculture, but notes their limited success. The study concludes that agricultural sustainability is a collective responsibility, unaffected by factors such as Western education or occupational status; education liberates and cures ignorance as food cures hunger. Addressing food security and wellness in Nigeria requires a multi-stakeholder approach, involving government, private sector, civil society, and farmers. This study adopts a historical and analytical approach with a combination of primary and secondary sources of data collection.
Description
The study examines the decline of Nigeria's agricultural sector, focusing on Yorubaland, and its impact on food security and wellness. It highlights how the shift from agriculture to oil in the 1970s led to neglect of the agricultural sector, compromising sustainable food systems and wellness.
Keywords
Agriculture, Sustainability, Food Security, Oil Boom, Wellness, Yorubaland.
Citation
Vol II, Number 1, January 2025