Nigeria’s food security crisis has intensified, with an additional one million people experiencing severe food insecurity in 2024 compared to last year, according to a recent World Bank report.
The Food Security Update highlights an alarming rise in food insecurity in countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Yemen.
The report noted that, while some nations like Afghanistan, Guatemala, and Kenya showed signs of improvement with a reduction in food insecurity, other countries continue to struggle with worsening conditions.
“Conversely, some countries saw improvements. Nations such as Afghanistan, Guatemala, and Kenya reported declines in food insecurity, with more than one million fewer people facing acute food crises, although these countries remained in significant food crisis situations.
“On the other hand, 18 countries experienced worsening situations due to factors including intensified conflict and climate-related shocks, such as droughts. Notable examples include Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Yemen, each witnessing an increase of more than one million people facing high levels of food insecurity from the previous year,” the report states.
In Nigeria, socio-political instability and climate challenges are driving this escalating crisis. An estimated 1.6 million hectares have been flooded, including 342,650 hectares of farmland, impacting approximately 685,770 people. In Mali, nearly 500,000 hectares of farmland have also been affected by flooding.
The report further details that other West African nations, including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo, are grappling with flooding issues.
Additionally, regions in northern Nigeria and Ghana face dry spells, which have led to reduced crop yields and exacerbated food insecurity.
In total, around 3.5 million people across these regions are in urgent need of assistance, with an estimated $50 million required to provide essential food support to over 760,000 communities affected by floods and drought.
Nigeria’s domestic food inflation continues to rank among the highest globally, with a staggering 37.5% increase in food prices year-on-year as of August 2024.
This inflationary pressure has strained household budgets, making it challenging for low-income families to meet their basic food needs.
The World Bank has called for immediate intervention to support the affected populations and address the urgent food crisis Nigeria faces.
