Nigeria: 33 Million at Risk of Hunger in the Coming Year

The number of people in need of food assistance in Nigeria is projected to soar to an alarming 33 million by 2025, up from the current 25 million, according to the World Food Programme (WFP) in a joint statement with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“There has never been a greater food crisis in Nigeria,” said Chi Lael, WFP Spokesperson for the country, during a press briefing at the UN in Geneva.

Averting a Potential Disaster

A recent assessment highlights the urgent need for intervention to prevent a looming food and nutrition catastrophe. The situation has been worsened by skyrocketing food prices, the aftermath of devastating floods, and 15 years of insurgency in the northeastern region of the country.

The hunger crisis is expected to peak in Nigeria’s northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, where approximately five million people face severe food shortages. Additionally, hunger hotspots are emerging in other regions, including Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states, which are also at risk.

Young Lives at Risk

Ms. Lael stressed that 5.4 million children and 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition, also known as wasting. Of these, a staggering 1.8 million children could suffer from severe acute malnutrition, requiring critical and life-saving nutrition treatments.

“What concerns us most is how quickly the situation has deteriorated over the past year,” Lael said, citing the growing number of people at risk, the expanding geographic scope of food insecurity, and the serious potential for worsening conditions in the months ahead.

Stemming the Crisis

Lael emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated response that includes prevention, mitigation, and life-saving assistance. Preventative measures, such as providing cash, seeds, and fertilizers to vulnerable farmers in rural areas, are essential to halting the spread of hunger. At the same time, immediate interventions in nutrition, healthcare, food supply, and water and sanitation are critical to alleviating the crisis.

“We have the opportunity to prevent this crisis from spiraling further and avert catastrophe in Nigeria. If we act now, it’s still within our capabilities to manage this, but it requires immediate, urgent action,” she concluded.