AMAMIHE Journal of Applied Philosophy

This study examines the historical trajectory of agricultural practices and food security in Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon and Wamba LGAs, which constitute the Northern Nasarawa zone, from 1940 to 2020. It highlights how traditional farming systems transformed colonial administration. It also dealt with post-independence agricultural reforms and interventions by successive governments, drivers of production and food security change. Thus, some postindependence policies like the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)and its impact on agricultural production were highlighted with a view to evaluating the successes and failures of post-colonial reforms. The study further examines the disruptions introduced by colonial policies such as cash-crop production, land tenure restructuring, tax payments, and forced free labour for colonial construction. Methodologically, oral history, secondary and archival sources were used to highlight the resilience and adaptability of indigenous agricultural systems. Two interrelated theoretical frameworks were adopted for the study, namely, political ecology and modernisation theory. In the end, the study found out, among others, that traditional policies and practices were largely based on subsistence farming that ensured food security in the area, before changes introduced in the colonial period. Again, the study opined that as the last tier of government nearest to rural farmers, the affected Local Government Councils can influence agricultural productivity through positive policies and initiatives that have a direct bearing on survival and food sustainability in the zone.

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