The United Nations (U.N) projects an increase of 7 million hungry people in Nigeria by August 2025.
Nigeria is confronting one of its most severe hunger crises, with 33 million people projected to experience food insecurity in 2025—an increase of 7 million compared to this year—driven by economic hardship, according to a joint report from the government and the United Nations released on Friday.
The biannual analysis conducted across 26 states and the federal capital estimates that 33.1 million people will face food insecurity by August next year.
The report states, “Several factors are driving this trend, but most prominently are economic hardship coupled with record high inflation, a record rise in food prices and record high transportation costs.”
Drivers of food insecurity in Nigeria
- The food insecurity situation in Nigeria is compounded by a series of factors including high inflation, insecurity, especially in the Northern parts of the country as well as recent flooding and effects of adverse and unstable weather conditions.
- Inflation in Nigeria rose to a 28-year high of 34.19% in June this year with food inflation crossing 40% marking the worst cost of living crisis Nigerians have faced in almost three decades.
- The surge in food prices across the country was exacerbated by the twin reforms of President Tinubu upon inauguration into office which led to a spike in input prices for major agricultural activities and energy and transportation costs.
Insecurity
Insecurity has also severely impacted agricultural activities in the region leading to an explosion in IDP camps and abandonment of farms by people in displaced communities.
Across the Northern parts of the country- terrorists like Boko Haram, and different groups of bandits kidnap and extort farmers- and such encounters have been fatal in recent times.
- A report by SB Morgan Intelligence revealed that around 1,356 farmers were killed in one year while another similar report by the same firm reported that Nigerians paid around N1.04 billion in one year to kidnappers mirroring the worsening security levels in the country.
- Flooding and insecurity in northern states have continued to impact agriculture, pushing food prices beyond the reach of many families.
- Last month’s floods devastated an estimated 1.6 million hectares of crops, primarily in northern food basket states, potentially resulting in a combined production loss of 1.1 million tonnes for maize, sorghum, and rice, the report noted.
In response, the federal government announced N3 billion in support to the 36 states of the federation and FCT to assuage the impact of the disaster.
– Nairametrics