Rural non-agricultural employment: implications on food and nutrition security among youth households in Nigeria

Food and nutrition security remain critical challenges for rural youth households in Nigeria, where agriculture is the predominant livelihood activity but is often constrained by seasonal variability and limited production capacity. Non-agricultural income offers an alternative source of livelihood that may enhance household dietary quality and food security. This study employs the endogenous treatment regression to investigate the causal impact of non-agricultural employment on food and nutrition security (proxied by household dietary diversity scores [HDDS] and food consumption scores[FCS]) among youth-headed households in rural Nigeria. The findings show that participation in non-agricultural employment significantly increases HDDS and FCS, suggesting that non-farm income plays a vital role in improving both the quality and quantity of food consumption among rural youth households. These results inform policy aimed at scaling inclusive rural non-farm employment opportunities to ensure food and nutrition security among Nigeria’s growing youth population.