The report, released on Thursday, November 7, is part of the Cadre Harmonisé food and nutrition insecurity analysis compiled by the Nigerian government in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme, and UNICEF.
FAO’s statement highlighted the urgency, noting, “It is an alarming seven million people increase from the same period last year, driven by economic hardship, record-high inflation, impacts of climate change, and ongoing violence in northeastern states.”
The report anticipates that those at “emergency” levels of food insecurity (Phase 4) will surge by nearly 80%, climbing from one million individuals in 2024 to 1.8 million by 2025.
Although no areas are currently classified at “catastrophe” levels (Phase 5), the population in the northeast, particularly in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, and some northwest states like Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, remains highly vulnerable.
With about 5.4 million people, including nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of malnutrition, the report underscores the critical need for targeted interventions.
