Food Insecurity in Urban Slums: Evidence from Ibadan Metropolis, Southwest Nigeria

Food insecurity is a major challenge among the urban poor who reside mainly in slums. The prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among households living in urban slums of Ibadan, Nigeria were therefore assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordered probit model. Food insecurity was found to be prevalent among the slum residents, with about 81% being food insecure. Nine out of every 10 (89.1%) households were male-headed. The largest proportion of the mildly food insecure (37%) household heads were less than 30 years old, while the largest proportion of moderately food insecure (45%) and severely food insecure (38%) household heads were within the age cohort of 31 to 40 years. Less than half of the mildly food insecure household heads had secondary school education while about three quarters of the moderately food insecure households had primary school education. Approximately one out of every food secure, mildly food insecure and moderately food insecure households (50, 54 and 57%, respectively) had five to nine members, while about 62% of the severely food insecure households had the same household size. A half (50%) of the food secure household had access to water closet toilet facility, while pit latrine, use of bucket and open defecation were prominent among the mildly food insecure, moderately food insecure, and severely food insecure households, respectively. Food insecurity status was explained by educational status of household head, household size, per capita income and duration of stay in the slum.