The United Nations (UN) predicts that by August 2025, Nigeria would have 7 million more hungry people than before.
According to a joint government-United Nations assessment issued Friday, Nigeria is facing one of its worst hunger crises, with 33 million people expected to face food insecurity in 2025 – a 7 million increase from this year – due to economic difficulties.
According to the biannual analysis, 33.1 million people would experience food insecurity by August of next year, spanning 26 states and the federal capital.
The study concludes, “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.”
Causes of Nigeria’s food insecurity
Nigeria’s food insecurity issue is made worse by a number of reasons, such as high prices, insecurity, particularly in the country’s northern regions, recent flooding, and the consequences of unfavourable and unpredictable weather.
The biggest cost of living crisis Nigerians have had in over three decades occurred in June of this year when food inflation surpassed 40% and inflation reached a 28-year high of 34.19%.
The countrywide spike in food prices was made worse by President Tinubu’s twin reforms, which increased the cost of energy and transportation as well as the price of inputs for important agricultural operations.
Insecurity
The region’s agricultural activities have also been negatively impacted by insecurity, which has resulted in a rise in IDP camps and farm abandonment by residents of displaced areas.
Farmers are kidnapped and extorted by terrorist organisations like Boko Haram and various bandit gangs in the country’s northern regions, and these confrontations have recently resulted in fatalities.
According to a survey by SB Morgan Intelligence, approximately 1,356 farmers were slain in a single year, and the same firm also found that Nigerians paid approximately N1.04 billion to kidnappers in a single year, reflecting the nation’s deteriorating security situation.
Food prices are now out of reach for many households due to the ongoing effects of flooding and instability on agriculture in northern regions.
According to the report, the floods that occurred last month destroyed an estimated 1.6 million hectares of crops, mostly in the northern food basket states. This might lead to a loss of 1.1 million tonnes of rice, sorghum, and maize production combined.
The federal government responded by announcing N3 billion to help the 36 federation states and the Federal Capital Territory deal with the effects of the tragedy.
