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.
