The International Rescue Committee and its partners have released a report indicating that approximately 16% of Nigerians will experience severe food insecurity or hunger between June and August 2024.
Compared to the previous year, this figure reflects a worsening situation, not only in Nigeria but also across West and Central Africa.
The report highlights that a total of around 52 million people in the region will face food insecurity during this period, representing about 12% of the analyzed population.
Specifically for Nigeria, the report predicts that approximately 32 million people will face severe hunger categorized as crisis level or emergency food insecurity.
“Looking ahead, the projected outlook for the period June-August 2024 appears even more severe: nearly 52 million people across the 17 analyzed countries are anticipated to face phases 3 to 5 during the lean season of June-August. This translates to 12% of the analyzed population struggling to meet their basic food and nutrition requirements.” the report said.
The severity of food insecurity is expected to be particularly acute in northern states such as Sokoto and Zamfara, where over 15% of children are experiencing acute malnutrition.
The IRC attributes the increasing severity of food insecurity in the Sahelian region to factors such as insecurity, climate change, and deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, particularly in terms of inflation.
In January 2024, the average inflation rate in the region was recorded at 21%, up from 18% in the same period of the previous year. Some countries, like Sierra Leone, have experienced even higher inflation rates, reaching 54%.
Earlier forecasts by the World Bank for Nigeria indicated that seven states in the North would face severe food security challenges due to food inflation and insecurity affecting food-producing regions.
Factors contributing to this situation include the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency on food production in the Northeast, as well as the farmer-herder crisis and banditry affecting food production in the Northwest and Northcentral regions.
Insecurity, combined with disruptions in global food supply chains, has contributed to a food inflation rate of 40.01% in Nigeria as of March.
