FG Raises the Alarm as 161 Million Nigerians Face Food Insecurity
The Federal Government has sounded a critical alarm over Nigeria’s deepening food crisis, revealing that a staggering 161 million Nigerians—representing approximately 74% of the population—are currently facing food insecurity.
This revelation was made by Dr. Nuhu Kilishi, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, during a national stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Kilishi explained that only about 20% of the population is currently food secure, meaning the vast majority are unsure of where their next meal will come from.
“This is not just a crisis—it is a humanitarian emergency,” Kilishi said, referencing the sharp rise in food insecurity from 35% in 2014 to the current levels.
The Federal Government attributed the alarming trend to a combination of persistent national challenges.
Insecurity across several regions has significantly limited agricultural production, as farmers flee their land due to violence and banditry. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s inflation rate—especially in the food sector—has surged, making even basic staples unaffordable for millions.
Data from the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey showed that over 40% of households cannot afford a nutritious diet, further underscoring the magnitude of the problem.
In addition to insecurity and inflation, the government pointed to declining access to land, rising costs of inputs like fertilizers, and climate-related shocks such as flooding and drought, as compounding factors pushing millions deeper into hunger.
To address the crisis, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is leading the development of a Food and Nutrition Security Crisis Preparedness Plan (FNSCPP).
This effort, supervised by Vice President Kashim Shettima, brings together stakeholders from health, agriculture, education, water resources, security, and development agencies.
The plan, which is expected to be finalized within six months, will provide a national roadmap for early response to food and nutrition emergencies.
As part of immediate interventions, the government announced the launch of a nationwide homestead gardening initiative—the distribution of seeds and inputs across all 774 local government areas. Funding for this will be supported by the World Bank under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project in 21 states, while the remaining 15 states will receive support directly from the federal government.
Kilishi emphasized the plan’s focus on prevention, rather than reaction, saying, “We are shifting from simply managing emergencies to building national resilience against future shocks.”
The announcement comes as international organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) continue to warn that Nigeria is among the world’s hunger hotspots, with millions at risk of malnutrition or starvation.
The Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis has projected that 33 million Nigerians may face acute food insecurity during the lean season—a smaller but still significant subset of the overall 161 million figure.
The rising food insecurity also poses risks for social stability, economic growth, and national development. Experts warn that if not urgently addressed, the crisis could spiral into widespread humanitarian emergencies in already vulnerable regions.
With food prices still climbing and insecurity persisting in key food-producing areas, the Federal Government’s alarm underscores the urgent need for a coordinated and well-resourced national response. Civil society groups and international development partners are expected to play a key role in supporting the government’s plan as it moves from strategy to implementation.
For now, millions of Nigerians continue to navigate daily uncertainty over access to food—a stark reminder that the country’s food system is in urgent need of both reform and reinforcement.
