The Federal Government has unveiled an emergency response strategy to cushion the impact of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) partial suspension of operations in Nigeria, which is expected to leave over half a million vulnerable citizens without food assistance.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, announced the intervention on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja, warning that the development could deepen hunger, malnutrition, and displacement across conflict-hit states in the North-East and North-West.

Sununu revealed that WFP, which had previously supported 1.3 million Nigerians, is scaling back operations to reach just 725,000 people by September—leaving a critical shortfall of 575,000 individuals, or approximately 115,000 households.

“The ripple effect of the suspension is alarming. Already, about 150 nutrition clinics in Borno and surrounding states are shutting down, putting close to 300,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition,” he said.

He attributed the suspension to severe funding constraints faced by the WFP and other UN agencies. In response, the government is exploring the creation of a special emergency intervention fund to scale up existing humanitarian programmes and close the widening aid gap.

According to the minister, discussions are underway with international partners, state governments, and key players in the organised private sector—including those who provided critical support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are already engaging those private sector allies, and their renewed commitment will be pivotal to bridging this gap,” Sununu said.

As part of immediate relief efforts, the ministry announced that 21,000 smallholder farmers will receive interest-free loans of N300,000 each under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), to boost local agricultural output during the dry season.

Earlier, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, noted that multiple UN agencies have also reduced activities due to resource challenges, calling for collaborative efforts to ensure humanitarian coverage does not falter further.

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