Impacts of COVID-19 on Food Security: Panel Data Evidence from Nigeria

IFPRI Discussion Paper 01956

44 Pages Posted: 16 Aug 2020 Last revised: 27 Aug 2020

See all articles by Mulubrhan Amare

Mulubrhan Amare

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Kibrom Abay

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)-Cairo

Luca Tiberti

Université Laval

Jordan Chamberlin

CIMMYT

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: August 11, 2020

Abstract

This paper combines pre-pandemic face-to-face survey data with follow up phone surveys collected in April-May 2020 to quantify the overall and differential impacts of COVID-19 on household food security, labor market participation and local food prices in Nigeria. We exploit spatial variation in exposure to COVID-19 related infections and lockdown measures along with temporal differences in our outcomes of interest using a difference-in-difference approach. We find that those households exposed to higher COVID-19 cases or mobility lockdowns experience a significant increase in measures of food insecurity. Examining possible transmission channels for this effect, we find that COVID-19 significantly reduces labor market participation and increases food prices. We find that impacts differ by economic activities and households. For instance, lockdown measures increased households' experience of food insecurity by 12 percentage points and reduced the probability of participation in non-farm business activities by 13 percentage points. These lockdown measures have smaller impacts on wage-related activities and farming activities. In terms of food security, households relying on non-farm businesses, poorer households, those with school-aged children, and those living in remote and conflicted-affected zones have experienced relatively larger deteriorations in food insecurity. These findings can help inform immediate and medium-term policy responses, including social protection policies aiming at ameliorating the impacts of the pandemic, as well as guide targeting strategies of governments and international donor agencies by identifying the most impacted sub-populations.

Keywords: Coronavirus, disease, Coronavirinae, food security, labour market, food prices, households, poverty, farming systems, social protection, food systems, COVID-19, phone surveys, labor market participation

Suggested Citation

Amare, Mulubrhan and Abay, Kibrom and Tiberti, Luca and Chamberlin, Jordan, Impacts of COVID-19 on Food Security: Panel Data Evidence from Nigeria (August 11, 2020). IFPRI Discussion Paper 01956, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3673061 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3673061

Mulubrhan Amare (Contact Author)

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

Kibrom Abay

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)-Cairo ( email )

Cairo
Egypt

Luca Tiberti

Université Laval ( email )

2214 Pavillon J-A. DeSeve
Quebec, Quebec G1K 7P4
Canada

Jordan Chamberlin

CIMMYT ( email )

Village Market 00621
Gigiri
Nairobi
Kenya

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