A study was conducted to identify the factors influencing food security and the coping strategies utilized during
food shortage among ethnic groups in rural North Central Nigeria in 2011. A random sample of 120 Tiv, 108
Igala and 112 Eggon households were interviewed to find out the quantities of every food item consumed in the
household in the past 24 hours and the coping strategies employed during food stress. The analysis was done
using frequency, percentage, mean scores and logit regression. The findings indicated that while the majority
(68%) of the Tiv households were food secure, only 45% of the Eggon and 42% of the Igala were food secure.
In all, 51.8% of the households were food secure. Socio-economic factors such as output from own production
(t= 2.89; p = 0.05), farm income (t= 2.21), annual income (t=2.79; p = 0.05) and household size (t= -7.64; p =
0.05) were found to be important correlates which affect food security. The study also showed that the mean
coping strategy index for Igala, Eggon and Tiv ethnic groups were 44.8, 37.5 and 34.4 respectively and 38.5 for
the entire population. The commonly adopted coping strategies for the entire population were reliance on less
preferred food (95.8%) and limiting food portions at meal times (83.5%). Although slightly above half of the
households were food secure, calorie consumption was just at the threshold of adequacy while the use of coping
strategies is a reflection of the poor access to food by households. Thus, food remained an issue in North Central
Nigeria. Therefore, it is imperative for policy makers to plan to improve food availability and to increase family
income to enhance quality of rural life