- A report warns that 133.1 million Nigerians may face severe food insecurity by 2025, driven by economic conditions and violence
- The report highlights that 5.4 million children and 800,000 women are at high risk of malnutrition in affected states
A report from the Cadre Harmonisé on food and nutrition security warns that 133.1 million Nigerians are projected to face severe food insecurity by 2025.
The analysis, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and prepared in collaboration with the Nigerian government and partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, highlights an escalating hunger crisis.
According to the report, worsening economic conditions, record inflation, climate change effects, and persistent violence in northeastern Nigeria are key factors behind the anticipated increase. The report indicates a surge of seven million more people in food insecurity compared to the previous year.
Projections show that the number of people in “emergency” levels (Phase 4) of food insecurity is expected to rise sharply, with an estimated 1.8 million individuals facing critical shortages by the 2025 lean season.
Although no groups have reached Phase 5 (catastrophe), the growth in Phase 4 underscores the urgency of the crisis.
The report also indicates that 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at high risk of malnutrition across the six most affected states: Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara. Of these, 1.8 million children are projected to require urgent nutrition treatment due to severe acute malnutrition.
Dr. Temitope Fashedemi, represented by Dr. Nuhu Kilishi Mohammed, underscored the importance of adopting the Cadre Harmonisé findings for national food security planning. FAO’s interim representative, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, reiterated the organization’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and promoting sustainable food systems in 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 longstanding issue, the Country Director, World Food Programme, WFP, David Stevenson, said: “The hunger crisis in Nigeria, fuelled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast, needs urgent addressing.
”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.
Munduate said: “Children are at the center 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 has called on Nigeria’s government, donors, and stakeholders to urgently mobilize resources and implement measures to prevent a food and nutrition disaster. A multi-sectoral response is deemed crucial to addressing the growing crisis.