As food scarcity worsens in Nigeria, the latest Cadre Harmonisé report on food and nutrition insecurity projects that by 2025, up to 133.5 million Nigerians could be at risk of a hunger crisis.
According to a Thursday statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the report—prepared by the Nigerian government with partner support—highlights a deteriorating food security landscape.
The report forecasts that 33.1 million people will face severe food insecurity during the 2025 lean season (June-August), an alarming increase of 7 million from the previous year. This rise is driven by economic challenges, inflation, climate change effects, and ongoing violence in Nigeria’s northeastern regions.
The statement highlighted, “Nationally, the number of people facing Emergency levels (Phase 4) of food insecurity is projected to rise. Although no populations are classified as Catastrophe (Phase 5), those in Emergency (Phase 4) are expected to increase from 1 million in the peak of the 2024 lean season to 1.8 million in 2025—a significant 80 percent rise.”
The report also cautions that around 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition, especially in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, as well as in the northwestern states of Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara. Of these, approximately 1.8 million children may suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require immediate treatment.
The FAO highlighted inflation—reaching 40.9 percent for food items and 34.2 percent overall as of June 2024—alongside economic pressures and conflict, as primary factors worsening food insecurity.
During the report’s presentation, Dr. Temitope Fashedemi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, represented by Dr. Nuhu Kilishi Mohammed, Director of Nutrition and Food Security, underscored the need to leverage the report’s findings to steer food and nutrition security efforts across federal agencies, humanitarian groups, and partners in Nigeria.
FAO Representative ad interim to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, reiterated FAO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in tackling food insecurity: “FAO, alongside our partners, is committed to implementing sustainable solutions that address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. By improving agri-food systems, we aim to meet immediate needs while building lasting progress.”
David Stevenson, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted the urgency of addressing the hunger crisis exacerbated by conflict in the northeast. “Restoring peace in the northeast is essential to unlocking its potential as the food basket of Nigeria,” Stevenson stated.
UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, underscored the crisis’ impact on children, who face severe physical, cognitive, and potentially fatal consequences. “Ensuring every child’s right to adequate food and nutrition is our moral responsibility,” Munduate said.
The United Nations called on the Nigerian government, donors, and other stakeholders to allocate resources and take immediate action to prevent a looming food and nutrition disaster, emphasizing the necessity of multi-sectoral support across the country.
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