Unlocking the Food Security Potential of Neglected Vegetables among Farming Households in Nigeria

Nigeria, a leading populated country in Africa is constantly facing food insecurity crisis particularly among smallholder farming households. Despite the nutritional and economic significance of Underutilized Indigenous Vegetables (UIVs), also known as neglected vegetables, their contribution to household food security remains largely unexplored. This study assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of UIV farming households, evaluated their food security status, and examined the impact of UIV production on food security in Osun State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained through structured-questionnaires, and a multistage sampling procedure was used to select 180 UIV farming households. Descriptive statistics, food security index, and logit regression were employed for data analysis. Results showed that the food security line was ₦5,029.08, 58.9% of households were classified as food secure, while 41.1percent were non-food secure. Food insecurity incidence, depth, and severity were 41.11%, 5.84%, and 1.77%, respectively. The Logit regression result revealed that education, income from UIVs, and credit access significantly increased the likelihood of being food secure, whereas household size and farm size did not. Policies promoting access to credit, extension services, and education among UIV farmers are essential to enhance food security and scale-up the potential of UIVs in the study area.