ABUJA – A recent Cadre Harmonisé report on food and nutrition insecurity has revealed that an alarming 133.1 million Nigerians are expected to confront a severe hunger crisis by 2025. The findings, disclosed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), highlight a troubling increase of seven million individuals facing food insecurity compared to the previous year.
The report, prepared by the Nigerian government with support from key partners including the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, underscores the deteriorating food security situation in the country. The analysis predicts that the upcoming lean season (June-August) will see a significant rise in the number of people experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity (Phase 4), with projections indicating an increase from 1 million to 1.8 million individuals by 2025.
Factors contributing to this crisis include ongoing economic hardship, record-high inflation, climate change effects, and persistent violence in the northeastern states. The report particularly highlights the plight of vulnerable populations, with approximately 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of acute malnutrition across six severely affected states.
Officials from the FAO and WFP have called for urgent action to address the hunger crisis, emphasizing the need for immediate multi-sectoral support and the restoration of peace in conflict-affected regions. UNICEF has also raised alarms about the impact of food insecurity on children, stressing the moral imperative to ensure every child’s right to adequate food and nutrition is upheld.
In light of these findings, the United Nations has urged the federal government and stakeholders to commit resources and implement measures to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster in Nigeria.
