Nigerian Food Insecurity: FAO Report Warns 33.1 Million Could Face Hunger Crisis in 2025

ABUJA – A recent analysis from the Cadre Harmonisé on food and nutrition security paints a grim picture for Nigeria, warning that 33.1 million people could experience a severe hunger crisis by the 2025 lean season, which spans June through August.

A report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with support from the Nigerian government and key international partners, emphasises growing concerns about food security in Nigeria.

Economic challenges, high inflation, climate impacts, and ongoing violence in the northeast region exacerbate this situation.

The FAO’s statement indicates a significant increase in food insecurity compared to last year, with the number of people facing hunger expected to rise by 7 million. This increase highlights a worsening crisis as Nigeria approaches the lean season. The report warns that emergency-level food shortages (Phase 4 on the Cadre Harmonisé scale) will likely affect an increasing number of individuals, projected to rise from 1 million in 2024 to 1.8 million by 2025. While no areas have been classified as Catastrophe-level (Phase 5), the surge in Emergency cases emphasises the severity of the situation.

The report sheds light on the most vulnerable groups affected by this crisis, particularly in northeastern and northwestern states such as Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara.

In these regions, an estimated 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition. Disturbingly, of these children, 1.8 million may face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require urgent nutritional treatment to avoid life-threatening consequences.

Economic hardship remains a central driver of the food crisis, worsened by record-breaking inflation. In June 2024, inflation for food items reached 40.9%, with general inflation peaking at 34.2%.

This economic strain has reduced purchasing power, making essential goods and food increasingly out of reach for millions.

Dr. Temitope Fashedemi, Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, stressed the critical role of the Cadre Harmonisé report in guiding national food security policies.

Represented by Dr Nuhu Kilishi Mohammed, Fashedemi recommended that agencies and humanitarian organisations use the report’s findings to plan and implement adequate food and nutrition interventions.

Dominique Koffy Kouacou, FAO’s interim representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to addressing the crisis. “By enhancing agri-food systems, we strive to meet urgent needs while promoting long-term, sustainable progress for communities,” he said, emphasizing FAO’s collaborative approach with partners to tackle food insecurity’s root causes and build resilient systems for the future.

David Stevenson, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted that conflict in northeastern Nigeria remains a major driver of hunger.

He emphasised that restoring peace is essential to unlock the region’s agricultural potential and ensure it can contribute to Nigeria’s food supply. “The hunger crisis in Nigeria, fueled by ongoing conflict, needs urgent addressing,” Stevenson stated.

UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, underscored the impact on children, stating that malnutrition poses irreversible risks, including physical and cognitive damage and even mortality in severe cases.

She stressed, “It is our moral imperative to uphold every child’s right to adequate food and nutrition.”

The United Nations called on the Nigerian government, international donors, and stakeholders to work together and allocate resources to prevent a looming food and nutrition disaster. With millions of lives at stake, the UN urged immediate, multi-sectoral support to address this escalating crisis and mitigate its effects on the country’s most vulnerable.