Abstract

The recent invasion of fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) on maize in Africa has threatened food security in Nigeria and across African region.   The arrival of fall armyworm in Nigeria since 2016 has significantly affected maize production and caused severe economic losses to farmers in the country. The spread of FAW in Nigeria cut across the 36 states of the country in 2018 incurring more damages due to the invasive nature of this pest. At the onset of the FAW attack between 2017 and 2018 farmers adopted chemical control method which proved ineffective against the pest. The current management approach for FAW in Nigeria is integrated pest management (IPM) which comprises combination of chemical application, cultural practices and botanicals from neem plants. The IPM program adopted by farmers have not yet achieve appreciable success in FAW eradication in the country. This paper therefore reviews the status, impacts and current management of the fall armyworm to provide useful information to scientists and relevant stakeholders on the need to intensify efforts in conducting relevant research to improve FAW management   or possible eradication in Nigeria and West Africa to enhance food security in the region.

Key Words: Maize, invasive species, biology, control, spread, damage, Nigeria