The study empirically examines the effect of deposit money banks credit on agricultural sector performance in Nigeria from 1986 to 2016. The data for the empirical analysis was sourced from secondary data sources various issues of the CBN statistical bulletin. The study used agricultural sector output (ASP) to proxy agricultural sector performance as the dependent variable whereas Deposit Money Banks' Credit to Agricultural Sector (BCA) was the major explanatory variable while Interest Rate (INR) and Government Expenditure on Agriculture (GEA) are the check regressors as to enhance the explanatory power of the model. The study employed descriptive statistic, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), unit root test, co-integration and ECM methods of analysis as the analytical tools. The results revealed that there is no co-integrating (or long run) relationship between deposit money banks' credit to agricultural sector and the performance of agricultural sector in Nigeria during the period of study; Deposit money banks' credit to agricultural sector (BCA) had a positive and a significant impact on Agricultural Sector performance (ASP); Interest Rate (INR) had a negative insignificant relationship with Agricultural Sector performance (ASP). Also, the study revealed that government expenditure on agricultural sector (GEA) had a positive insignificant relationship on Agricultural Sector performance (ASP). Consequent upon the above, it is recommended that efforts should be made by the government and private individuals to encourage or increase investment in the agricultural sector. The lending rate on loans to the agricultural sector should be reviewed and fixed at a rate that would encourage farmers to acquire loans from deposit money banks.

Food insecurity is a challenge in developing countries, especially in the rural areas of Nigeria. It remains a global challenge and continues to be a major public policy in Nigeria and other developing nations. Despite these, COVID-19 set in and posed a serious threat to food system and security globally. This study, therefore, assessed the level of food security among the rural farming households and how they cope with the situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for the study were collected primarily from 200 farming households with the use of questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, food security index and Likert scale. The findings showed that the level of food insecurity was very high during the pandemic as 69.5% were food insecure with a high concentration among those with large household size. The widely adopted coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic among the rural farming households were eating less expensive food (=2.7), reducing rational consumption (=2.68), allowing children to eat first (=2.56), engaging in additional small scale productivity activities (=2.27), skipping meal within a day (=2.26), buying food on credit (=2.05) and borrowing money to buy food (=2.01). The study recommends effective and urgent policy measures which will support rural households’ food availability to boost their food security status. Also, enlightenment of the rural households on the important of modern family planning on their food security status is needed.

No abstract

No abstract