The government announced on Tuesday that more than 31.8 million Nigerians are severely food insecure as a result of security issues and the elimination of fuel subsidies, citing research by multiple international development partners.
The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning stated in a statement that the development partners laid forth the scope of the shortages, which have resulted in malnutrition among women and children, during a meeting with the government on Monday and Tuesday.
The results show a significant increase from the 18.6 million individuals the U.N. World Food Programme identified as susceptible to acute food insecurity between October and December 2023.
“Millions of Nigerians are in a precarious situation due to the surge in food commodity prices, which is a result of the removal of fuel subsidy in addition to security challenges,” the ministry stated.
Nigeria is experiencing the biggest cost of living crisis in a generation as a result of raids and new tab by bandits brandishing guns and machetes, forcing many farmers to abandon their farms and driving up food prices and inflation.
Fuel subsidies were eliminated by President Bola Tinubu, who took office in May 2023, to reduce government spending, which increased transportation costs.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the German development agency GIZ, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation were among the development partners that created the study.
The study made use of data from a nutrition analysis conducted by the regional food security framework Cadre Harmonise.
The study, according to Sanjo Faniran, director of social development at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and national convener of Food Systems in Nigeria, assisted in identifying gaps, successes, and issues as well as providing recommendations.
