Food insecurity: Number of hungry people in Nigeria to rise by 7 million in 2025 – UN

The United Nations (UN) predicts that the number of hungry people in Nigeria will increase by 7 million by August 2025.

Nigeria faces one of its worst hunger crises, with 33 million people projected to be food insecure in 2025 (7 million more than this year) due to economic hardship, according to a joint government and United Nations report. released on Friday.

The biannual analysis of 26 states and the federal capital estimates that 33.1 million people will face food insecurity by August next year.

The report says, “Several factors are driving this trend, but the most notable are economic difficulties coupled with record high inflation, record food price increases and record high transportation costs.”

Causes of Food Insecurity in Nigeria

The food insecurity situation in Nigeria is aggravated by a number of factors, including high inflation, insecurity, especially in the northern parts of the country, as well as the recent flooding and the effects of adverse and unstable weather conditions.
In June this year, Nigeria’s inflation rose to a 28-year high of 34.19% and food inflation topped 40%, marking the worst cost of living crisis Nigerians have faced in nearly three decades.
Rising food prices across the country have been exacerbated by President Tinubu’s twin reforms since taking office, which have led to sharp increases in the prices of raw materials for basic agricultural activities, as well as energy and transport costs.

Uncertainty

Insecurity has also severely impacted agricultural activities in the region, leading to explosions in internally displaced persons camps and the abandonment of farms by people in displaced communities.

In the northern parts of the country, terrorists such as Boko Haram and various groups of bandits have been kidnapping and extorting money from farmers and such clashes have become fatal in recent times.

A report by SB Morgan Intelligence showed that about 1,356 farmers were killed in one year, while another similar report by the same firm said Nigerians paid kidnappers about N1.04 billion in one year, reflecting deteriorating security in the country.

Floods and insecurity in northern states continue to impact agriculture, pushing food prices beyond the reach of many families.

The report noted that floods last month destroyed about 1.6 million hectares of crops, mostly in the northern states of the food basket, potentially leading to a combined loss of 1.1 million tonnes in maize, sorghum and rice production.

In response, the Federal Government announced N3 billion in support to the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to mitigate the impact of the disaster.