The World Food Program of the United Nations has said that it is reevaluating its local food procurement and will only purchase food in Nigeria once the prices stabilize.
According to Nairametrics, the agency made this information public in a news release, stating that “a monitoring exercise in the states of Borno, Yobe, and Kano revealed the sharp increase in food costs, which has placed more strain on the displaced population who are unable to farm.”
The World Food Program’s Country Director and Representative in Nigeria, David Stevenson, said “the organization has insufficient food on hand to sustain its operations and would only buy food for Nigerian local markets after prices have stabilized.”
“We are aware of traders holding food in their warehouses and posing as the World Food Program. This is untrue because WFP’s limited supply is only accessible to continue providing vital aid to Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.
“We are reviewing our local food sourcing process in-depth. WFP will only buy food in Nigeria when everyone can shop there in stable conditions.
The organization said that their goal was to contact 1.1 million individuals in Nigeria, with the aim of reaching 1.6 million during the ‘lean season,’ which runs from June to August.”
Food manufacturers Olam Agric and Nigeria Flour Mills reportedly halted buying grains including sorghum and maize due to the sharp price increases and to give the market time to stabilize. Many Nigerian households have had their purchasing power reduced by skyrocketing inflation and market prices, especially in the country’s conflict-ridden Northeast.
In its study on food security, the World Bank predicted that there will be a major food crisis in seven states in Northern Nigeria. Additionally, the Food and Agriculture Organization issued a warning, estimating that 26.5 million Nigerians would be hungry by 2024.
The federal government has chosen to remove grains from the national reserve in an effort to temporarily address the food security issue and bring down commodity prices.
