JOURNAL OF LIAONING TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES FOR RENEWED HOPE IN FOOD SECURITY AND JOB CREATION AMONG FARMERS IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL, NIGERIA

Atteh, A. P., Sanni, T.A., Ogunrinde, H. U., Emmanuel A. U.

Abstract

The study focused on the impacts of the Soil, water resources conservation and management on 120 farmers as it affects their renewed hope for food security and job creation in a selected area council in Abuja namely; Bwari Area council, F.C.T, Abuja, Nigeria. Questionnaire was administered to 30 farmers each at Igu, Gaba, Garam, and Kuchiko-Bwari farming communities, who were selected at random. Qualitative research methodology was adopted, and data were also collected from primary and secondary sources through document reviews and inferences were drawn from them. Multiple regression results revealed that the significant factors affecting sustainable strategies for renewed hope on food security include; bush burning (p<0.01), deforestation (p<0.05), overgrazing (p<0.01 and insecurity (p<0.01). Similarly, rainfall (p<0.01) and application of chemical fertilizer (p<0.01) were statistically significant but negatively related to farmers’ food security. The study also reveals that soil and water management resources management was very poor at Gaba and Garam this impacted negatively on their food security, 87% of the farmers were affected in the two farming communities, and 75% of farmers’ job creation were equally affected, while at Igu and Kuchiko-Bwari 21% and 15% of the farmers were affected. This paper thus recommends an increase in mitigation against anything that can endanger soil, water resources conservation and management among the affected farming communities, to strengthen their natural ecosystem that will improve the stability of their natural environment, also the soil and water management to ensure enough sustainable food security.

Key Word: Food Security, Soil Management, Water Resource, Renewed Hope.