Do Diaspora Remittances Guarantee Food Security in Nigeria?

Abstract

The burgeoning remittances into Nigeria and their effect on the economy have received renewed attention in recent times. Literature has suggested the existence of a relationship between remittances and food security. The extent to which this is true for Nigeria is uncertain. Using Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), this study examined the link between remittances and food security using secondary data for the period 1980 to 2018. Findings revealed a robust long and short-run relationship between remittances and food security. In the short-run, a positive and significant relationship was found between remittances and food security in the current period such that a 1 per cent increase in remittances was associated with a 5.08 per cent improvement in food security. In the long-run, a cointegrated relationship was observed as the error correction term depicting this relationship was well-behaved, properly signed and significant indicating that any previous period deviation in long-run equilibrium is corrected in the current period at an adjustment speed of 28.8 per cent. In addition, the Granger test suggests a unidirectional causality running from remittances to food security such that past values of remittances determined food security during the period investigated. Consequent to the findings, the study recommended with a caveat, the design and proper implementation of a diaspora and remittances policy to cater for the welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora to improve remittance receipts and by implication, food security. However, since remittances alone cannot guarantee food security in Nigeria, this study further recommends a holistic and multidimensional approach to address the food security challenge and close the food deficit gap.