Enhancing Food Security and Nutrition through Urban Agriculture in Ilorin Metropolis: Cushioning Post-Covid-19 Effects

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated local, national, and global economies. The resulting low GDP growth, high rates of hunger, food insecurity, poverty, and unemployment have severely challenged the inclusive growth and sustainable development in many developing countries. The pandemic has worsened food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide, especially in urban areas affected by climate change and environmental degradation. Despite governmental efforts through various food policies, food insecurity remains a significant issue in Africa, and particularly in Nigeria. It is crucial to assess the impact of COVID-19 on food security and nutritional status in urban centers such as the Ilorin metropolis. Urban agriculture is a proactive measure undertaken by residents of Nigerian cities, particularly in Ilorin, to mitigate the effects on food security and nutrition. This study aims to explore the mitigating impact of post-COVID-19 on food security and nutrition through urban agriculture, employing a mixed-methods approach. The findings indicate that household size significantly reduces household food consumption by 50.3%, which is negatively significant at the 5% level. Additionally, the dependency ratio has a negatively significant impact on household food consumption by 10.2%. This suggests that a higher dependency ratio correlates with increased food consumption and lower nutritional status, which can severely diminish food productivity and the nutritional status of urban farmers. Therefore, addressing the issues of food insecurity, hunger, malnutrition, and poverty has become a global imperative in the wake of COVID-19.