The United Nations has issued a stark warning that Nigeria may face one of its most severe food crises in recent years if urgent measures are not taken to address rising insecurity, climate pressures, and economic instability across several regions of the country.
According to early assessments from UN humanitarian agencies, millions of Nigerians—particularly in the North-East, North-West, and parts of the Middle Belt—are at heightened risk of acute food insecurity due to a combination of violent conflict, disrupted farming cycles, soaring inflation, and limited access to agricultural inputs. The report notes that rural communities, already affected by displacement and loss of livelihoods, are struggling to recover amid intensifying climate-related shocks such as drought and flooding.
The UN cautioned that without coordinated national interventions, including expanded food assistance, agricultural support, and improved security for farming communities, the situation could “rapidly deteriorate” in the coming months. Humanitarian partners have also called for increased funding to sustain emergency relief operations, which they say remain severely under-resourced.
Economists warn that the food supply strain—driven by higher prices of staples, reduced crop yields, and currency volatility—could further deepen the country’s poverty rate and push vulnerable households into crisis-level hunger.
The UN urged both federal and state governments to bolster early-response efforts, stabilize food markets, and prioritize policies that protect local food systems. It also emphasized the need for long-term resilience measures, including climate-smart agriculture, rehabilitation of farmlands, and enhanced support for internally displaced families.
With the lean season approaching and humanitarian needs rising sharply, international partners stress that timely action is critical to prevent the situation from escalating into a nationwide emergency.
References
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2024). Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity. FAO & WFP.
đź”— https://www.fao.org/documents
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2024). Nigeria Humanitarian Needs Overview.
đź”— https://www.unocha.org/nigeria
World Food Programme (WFP). (2024). Nigeria Country Brief.
đź”— https://www.wfp.org/countries/nigeria
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2024). Severe food and nutrition insecurity in northern Nigeria.
đź”— https://www.unicef.org/nigeria
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). (2024). Nigeria Acute Food Insecurity Analysis.
đź”— https://www.ipcinfo.org
