Food Crisis Warning: 82 Million Nigerians at Risk of Severe Hunger, Says UN

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a branch of the United Nations, has issued a warning that by 2030, about 80 to 82 million Nigerians could face severe hunger due to ongoing food insecurity.

Taofiq Braimoh, representing the FAO’s Humanitarian Coordinator, shared this at the recent launch of CropWatch in Abuja. He highlighted that approximately 22 million Nigerians are already dealing with food insecurity in 2023, according to a recent survey.

“The Nigerian government, in collaboration with other partners, conducts an annual food security survey. This year’s findings are alarming: around 22 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2023, and an estimated 80-82 million are at risk of severe food insecurity by 2030,” Braimoh stated.

This warning comes amidst a rise in Nigeria’s food inflation, which reached 40.66 percent in May 2024, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics. The report indicated that staple food prices, including rice, beans, garlic, and yam, have increased by at least 130 percent.

The escalating food prices have exacerbated the misery index and limited access to food for millions of Nigerians. Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his economic team’s assurances and recent declaration of an emergency on food insecurity, the problem persists