Abstract
Food insecurity and poor nutritional wellbeing remain persistent challenges among rural farmers in South-South Nigeria despite the region’s agricultural potential. This study assessed household food security and nutritional well-being among rural farmers. Specifically, it describes the socio-economic characteristics of rural farming households, assesses household food security using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), examines nutritional wellbeing via the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and its relationship with food security, and evaluates the role of agricultural extension services in enhancing food and nutrition outcomes. Data were collected from 360 households across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Rivers states using structured questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics and Ordered Logit regression. Results indicate that male-headed households predominated (70%), most household heads were aged 41–50 years (36.7%), and 43.3% cultivated 1–2 hectares. Food security assessment revealed that 15% of households were food secure, 30% mildly food insecure, 35% moderately food insecure, and 20% severely food insecure, with Rivers State exhibiting the highest severe insecurity (46.7%). Nutritional assessment showed 55% of households had medium dietary diversity, 25% high, and 20% low, with food-secure households being 3.5 times more likely to achieve higher HDDS than severely food-insecure households (OR = 3.50; 95% CI: 2.10–5.85, p < 0.01). Extension contact positively influenced dietary diversity (OR = 1.18, p < 0.05), particularly through nutrition education and crop production advice. The study concludes that household food security significantly enhances nutritional wellbeing and that agricultural extension services play a critical role in improving both outcomes. It recommends strengthening nutrition-sensitive extension programs, promoting diversified farming, expanding extension coverage, and leveraging farmer groups to improve food security and dietary quality among rural households.