A new report reveals that an alarming 33 million people in Nigeria are projected to experience acute food insecurity by 2025. In a statement on Thursday, Chi Lael, head of communications for the United Nations World Food Programme, shared findings from the Cadre Harmonisé food insecurity and malnutrition analysis.
Led by the Nigerian government with support from partners, the report highlights worsening food security across the country, estimating that 33.1 million people will endure severe food insecurity during the lean season from June to August.
“This represents an alarming increase of 7 million people from the same period last year, driven by economic hardship, coupled with record-high inflation, the effects of climate change, and persistent violence in the northeastern states of the country.
“Between October and December 2024, 25.1 million people are expected to experience acute food insecurity, even at the peak of the harvest season. Of this, 3.8 million live in the northeastern states, and this number is projected to rise to 5 million,” the statement read.
According to the WFP, nationally, the number of people experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity is projected to increase from 1 million in the peak of the 2024 lean season to 1.8 million at the same time in 2025, representing a worrying 80 percent rise.
“Approximately 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition or wasting in six of the most affected states: Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe in the northeast, and Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara in the northwest. Of these, an alarming 1.8 million children could face severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment.”
The statement added that Nigeria is grappling with economic hardship, compounded by record-high inflation (which reached 40.9 per cent for food, and 34.2 per cent for all items in June 2024).
“This is a record increase in food prices amid record-high transportation costs. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the price of beans in October 2024 was 282 per cent higher than the same period in 2023. Similarly, the price of local rice rose by 153 percent compared to October last year. These economic shocks have resulted in the continuous devaluation of the local currency, the naira, against the US dollar, external economic factors, and last year’s policy changes, including the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy.
“Other major factors driving food insecurity in the country include the effects of climate change, particularly floods, which directly impact the rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities and services.
“Trend analyses for the northeastern states indicate consistently high or rising food insecurity levels since 2018. The number of people requiring urgent assistance has increased by at least 4 million annually during the lean season since June 2020,” the statement read.
The WFP added that the northwest and parts of the north-central regions now exhibit critical levels of severe food insecurity and malnutrition, marking them as major hunger hotspots that demand attention from decision-makers.
FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dominique Kouacou, expressed FAO’s continued commitment to supporting Nigeria.
“Working closely with our partners, FAO is dedicated to implementing durable solutions that tackle the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. By enhancing agri-food systems, we strive to meet urgent needs while promoting long-term, sustainable progress for communities,” Kouacou said.
Highlighting the long-standing issue, WFP’s Country Representative, David Stevenson, said, “The hunger crisis in Nigeria is fuelled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast and needs to be urgently addressed. Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country.”
UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, emphasized the urgent need for action.
She said, “Children are at the centre of the food insecurity crisis and face irreversible consequences – both physical and cognitive, and potentially even death. It is our moral imperative to ensure that the right of every child to adequate food and nutrition is upheld.”
The United Nations urges the Nigerian Government, donors, and stakeholders to commit resources and implement measures to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster, emphasizing the need for immediate multi-sectoral support across the nation
