33.1Million Nigerians To Experience Food Crises In June/August 2025

This includes five hundred and fourteen thousand, four hundred and seventy-four (514, 474) Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) are expected to be in food and nutrition crisis between June and August of 2025

The report also shows that five point forty-four million (5.44 million) children under the age of five in Northeast and Northwest of the country will likely suffer from acute malnutrition between May 2024 and April 2025 with One point eight million (1.8 million) projected to be severely malnourished and would possibly need medical attention.

Key drivers of this report includes High prices of foodstuffs and non-food items impacting household’s food consumption and livelihoods, Flooding impact on households’ food consumption, Insecurity (insurgency, kidnapping, banditry), Continuous increase of fuel prices.

The Cadre Harmonise (CH) analysis is conducted in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ascertain the food security situation and make projections for the future for informed decision making.

The CH report projections serves as a guide for policy makers in focusing on areas that are in dare need of interventions.

The representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to Nigeria and ECOWAS who was represented by Mr. Tofiq Braimah said Nigeria is experiencing economic, Climate shocks and insecurity which is affecting the prices of staples and livelihoods.

“Nigeria is experiencing a combination of shocks: Economic – affecting prices of staple crops and agriculture commodities, Climate – floods and droughts and Insecurity”.

 Mr. Braimah said the FAO is working on expanding the CH process to the remaing 10 states in the country while calling on stakeholders to support data collection across all states for the next CH.

“Call on all stakeholders including state governments to support data collection from all states and localities, for March 2025 CH”.

He also called for Collaboration to ensure existing data gaps are addressed so that all vulnerable populations in all locations are assessed and analysed.

The representative of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) Mr. Nuhu Kilishi, said the November, 2024 CH results is apt and it’s coming at a phase of economic stress as the country is still grappling with the removal of fuel subsidies which has sent ripples through the agricultural sector.

“The major effect is the increased transportation costs due to the high fuel prices, negatively impacting agricultural production”.

He further explained that “With the spike in fuel prices, transportation costs have soared, squeezing farmers profit margins and potentially driving up food prices for consumers, and not forgetting the daunting insecurity situation which has continued to threaten Nigeria’s food and nutrition security” .

 Mr. Kilishi noted that these challenges have led to the disruptions in food system (food production, distribution, marketing and even stocking mechanisms), resulting in poor consumption patterns among several households especially, in areas affected by insecurity.

He applauded the financial and technical contribution of stakeholders particularly FAO, and World Food Programme, WFP.

CH analysis was conducted and validated by highly skilled professionals of the CH analysis task force.

The results of this cycle of CH analysis is coming at a time when government at all levels is leaving no stone unturned in reinvigorating the nation’s economy by first addressing the challenges of food and nutrition Insecurity.