INSURGENCY AND THE HAMMERING OF FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS IN BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examines the multifaceted impact of the Boko Haram insurgency on the livelihoods of farmers in Borno State, Nigeria. Drawing on a synthesis of recent empirical studies, humanitarian reports, and policy documents, the analysis demonstrates that the insurgency has systematically dismantled the agricultural foundation of rural Borno through four interconnected mechanisms: physical displacement of farming populations, destruction of agricultural assets and infrastructure, restriction of access to farmland, and the creation of a pervasive insecurity that renders farming economically irrational. The paper finds that the insurgency has produced statistically significant negative effects on both cultivated land area and crop production, reduced the effectiveness of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, and driven farmers into survival-oriented coping strategies that undermine long-term livelihood sustainability. While government and humanitarian interventions have attempted to mitigate these effects, their impact remains constrained by continued insecurity and the structural fragility of the region’s agricultural economy. The paper concludes by arguing that durable livelihood recovery requires not merely agricultural inputs but a fundamental restoration of security that would allow farmers to cultivate without fear of abduction, extortion, or death.