IMPACT OF BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY ON THE FOOD SECURITY DIMENSIONS OF AVAILABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND UTILIZATION IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Research Problem: The decade-long Boko Haram insurgency has severely undermined food security in Adamawa State’s northern senatorial district by disrupting the availability, accessibility and utilisation of food. While humanitarian and policy reports catalogue rising hunger levels, empirical evidence on how insurgent violence specifically erodes each pillar of food security and on the coping strategies households employ remains scarce. Methods: Anchored on the Conflict-Food Security Transmission Model, the study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The population comprised 681,400 residents of Madagali, Michika and Mubi North LGAs; using Taro Yamane’s formula, 204 farming households were proportionately sampled, and judgmental techniques ensured inclusion of households directly affected by insurgent attacks. A validated four-section Likert-scale questionnaire ( = 0.81) and a semi-structured key-informant interview guide were used; 197 usable responses (96 %) were analysed with SPSS v.25 via means, standard deviations and content analysis.Results: Boko Haram attacks have precipitated a 47 % reduction in cultivated land, farm abandonment and destruction of harvested crops, slashing local food availability. Market disruptions and asset losses have driven sorghum prices up 180 % and eroded household purchasing power, severely limiting food accessibility. Dietary diversity collapsed from 6.8 to 3.9 food groups, while 14.4 % acute malnutrition rates reveal compromised food utilisation amid rationing and poor sanitation. Conclusion: The insurgency has not merely reduced food supply but has dismantled the entire food system, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of conflict-driven hunger. Key Contribution to Knowledge: The study provides granular, context-specific evidence on the simultaneous and differentiated impacts of insurgent violence on food availability, accessibility and utilisation in Adamawa State. Recommendation: Integrate security-protected cultivation corridors, nutrition-sensitive cash transfers and community-led WASH interventions to rebuild resilient, locally owned food systems.