Abstract

This study examined consumer demand and household food security for rice, maize, and cowpea in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Niger State, Nigeria: Bosso, Lapai, Chanchaga, and Paikoro. The study aims to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, assess consumer behavior and purchasing decisions, determine the factors influencing demand, analyze household food security status, and identify challenges affecting consumer demand. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select a total of 332 respondents (150 from Bosso/Lapai and 182 from Chanchaga/Paikoro). Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires administered via Kobo Collect and personal interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Multiple Regression analysis, Foster Greer Thorbeeke (FGT) food security indices, Probit regression, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. The socioeconomic results revealed a male-dominated household headship across all LGAs (86% in Bosso/Lapai; 78.6% in Chanchaga/Paikoro), with a mean age of approximately 40-42 years and large household sizes averaging 10-11 persons. Maize and rice were identified as the most widely consumed staples due to affordability and ease of preparation, while cowpea consumption was lower, serving mainly as a supplementary protein source. Multiple regression analysis revealed that gender, education, farm income, household size, and prices of substitutes significantly influenced the demand for the selected crops. The FGT index indicated high levels of food insecurity across the state; in Bosso/Lapai, 62.7% of households were food insecure, while in Chanchaga/Paikoro, 61.5% were food insecure. Probit analysis identified education, farm income, food availability, and affordability as positive determinants of food security, while distance to markets and large household sizes negatively affected it. Major challenges identified included price instability, poor road/transport infrastructure, high prices, and lack of credit access. The study recommends improving rural credit access, upgrading transport infrastructure, stabilizing prices through grain reserves, and promoting adult literacy and nutrition education.

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