A sobering report from the Cadre Harmonisé (CH) Analysis, released on Friday in Abuja, forecasts that over 33 million Nigerians across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may face a severe food and nutrition crisis between June and August 2025.
The analysis, conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, highlights a growing humanitarian concern. The affected states include Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Taraba, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, Benue, Cross River, Enugu, Edo, Abia, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kwara, Ogun, Lagos, Rivers, and the FCT.
Among those at risk, the report identifies approximately 514,474 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara, exacerbating the already critical situation. Currently, around 25 million people in these regions are experiencing food crises.
FAO Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Kouacou Koffy, emphasized the urgent need for a unified response to tackle food and nutrition security in Nigeria. “With the concerted efforts of the government, CH stakeholders, and the international community, we can move closer to alleviating hunger and reducing suffering for Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations,” he stated.
Koffy pointed out that Nigeria is grappling with multiple shocks, including economic pressures driving up prices of staple crops, climate-related events such as floods and droughts, and persistent insecurity. He underscored the importance of CH workshops, which analyze food security data to identify at-risk populations and propose measures to prevent or mitigate food crises.
“The CH analysis is the most reliable and widely accepted early warning tool for humanitarian programming, food security, and livelihood response targeting, as well as for prioritizing development programmes,” Koffy added.
Temitope Fashedemi, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to leveraging the report’s findings to shape food and nutrition security initiatives across the country.
Balama Dauda, CH Focal Person for the National Programme on Food Security, identified key drivers of the impending crisis as soaring prices of food and non-food items, flooding, and insecurity.
As the situation unfolds, stakeholders are urged to take immediate action to avert a looming humanitarian disaster.
