Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Malnutrition in Nigeria
H. Onyeaka
*
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
I. Agbugba
Departments of Agriculture and Applied Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria.
O. C. Ekwebelem
Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
C. Anumudu
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
A. Anyogu
School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, United Kingdom.
O. Odeyemi
Office of Research Services, Research Division,University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.
S. Agbagwa
Departments of Agriculture and Applied Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
As a developing nation and the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria has faced challenges associated with meeting the food needs of its expanding population over the years. This is due to the nation transitioning from a net exporter of foods to being dependent on food imports, leading to many people suffering from stunting and severe malnourishment. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded this food insufficiency within the country with its attendant global impacts. The restrictions in the movement of people and goods in the country, due to the current pandemic, have affected access to food and agricultural input, heavily affecting the financial ability of families. This mini-review highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the country's nutritional status, the rising incidence of food insecurity and proposes approaches that can be employed to mitigate these adverse effects. Approaches to improving food security and the nutritional status of the country during the pandemic and post-pandemic era will involve deliberate policies of the government which focuses on increasing funding to local food producers, lifting restrictions on the transport of food commodities, encouraging markets for the retail of locally produced foods and more importantly instituting nutritional intervention programmes for children and the vulnerable within the community.
Keywords: COVID-19, malnutrition, food insecurity, nutrition status, Nigeria.