Abstract

This study seeks to investigate the effect of insecurity on consumption patterns in Awka metropolis, Anambra State. In other to achieve this, this study specifically has the objectives of determining the effect of insecurity on the income of households in the Awka Metropolis as well as examining the effects of insecurity on Feeding patterns of households in Awka Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The area of study is Awka metropolis. The population of the study consists of all households in the study area, while the sample size was 271. For this study, the primary source of data was employed. The data analysis was made using mean score as well as regression analysis using SPSS package 20.0, run at a significance level of 0.05 with the degree of freedom (df) = (n-1). The study concluded that insecurity has altered feeding pattern of respondents in Awka Metropolis in terms of being unable to have a balanced diet as well as change of desired diet option as a result of hike in prices which has invariably causes some household to adopt coping strategies like reduction in the number of time they feed in a day, going a whole day without food as well as reallocation of household resources. Therefore, the researcher recommended that government efforts need to be intensified in setting up short-term cushioning programme to ameliorate the effect of increasing pricing of food items as a result of insecurity situations. Such programmes would increase income in households, which would gradually drive the local economy of Awka Metropolis.