Farming Households’ Vulnerability to Livelihood Insecurity in Urban and Rural Areas of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Purpose: The agricultural sector in Nigeria faces multifaceted challenges that heighten the vulnerability of farming households. This study examined key drivers of vulnerability- climate change, biological hazards, socio-infrastructural deficits, economic hardship, and political instability among rural and urban households in Ekiti State, Nigeria.Research Method: The study employed a two-stage sampling procedure to select a total of 336 farming households. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, and an ordinal logistic regression model.Findings and Values: Drought was the most severe insecurity in both urban (x¯ = 2.35) and rural (x¯ = 2.13) areas, followed by kidnapping and cattle encroachment. Regression analysis showed that age, farming experience, and household size influenced kidnapping vulnerability in rural areas, while education reduced cattle encroachment vulnerability in urban areas. Only 25.4%of urban and 17.6% of rural farmers adopted resilience strategies. The study recommends targeted interventions such as rural security strengthening, enforcement of Ekiti State’s anti-grazing laws, and community-based surveillance to reduce vulnerability and protect livelihoods, especially in rural Ekiti State where threats are more pronounced.