EXPLORING FLOOD MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE FOOD SECURITY AMONG RURAL RICE FARMING COMMUNITIES IN IBAJI LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/08/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 3 (2026)

Article No.

018

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-K8DYFGC2

Received

19 Jul 2026

Views

32

Downloads

16

Abstract

Flooding remains one of the most pressing environmental threats to agricultural productivity in Nigeria, with Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State particularly vulnerable given its reliance on rice farming as the dominant livelihood. This study examined flood mitigation strategies for enhancing food security among rural rice farming communities in Ibaji, guided by four objectives and three hypotheses. Data were obtained from 371 farmers through purposive sampling, alongside secondary sources, and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, anchored on Food Security Theory and Flood Risk Management Theory. Findings revealed that 74.9% of respondents confirmed flooding had increased over the preceding five years, with 65.2% describing incidents as very severe and 81.7% reporting direct exposure to at least one flood event. Regarding productivity effects, 82.2% affirmed that flooding drastically reduced rice output, while 66.3% acknowledged adverse psychological effects on their mental well-being. On mitigation and coping, 54.7% adopted flood-resistant rice varieties and 56.9% engaged in post-flood replanting. Hypothesis testing showed a statistically significant relationship between flood prevalence and mitigation strategies adopted (r = 0.486, p < 0.05), leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. Further ANOV A results indicated significant gender-based differences in both mitigation strategies and coping mechanisms between male and female farmers (p < 0.05). The study concluded that flooding severely threatens rice farming and food security in Ibaji, recommending early warning systems, flood-resistant varieties, and agricultural insurance to strengthen farmer resilience.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.