74% Nigeria’s Population Face Food Insecurity Amid Economic Crises

74% Nigeria’s Population Face Food Insecurity Amid Economic Crises

ESTHER SALIFU , Abuja

The Federal Government has raised the alarms over Nigeria’s deepening food insecurity, revealing that approximately 161 million citizens which is about 74% of the population are stricken with uncertainty about their next meal.

This stark revelation was made by the Director of the Nutrition and Food Safety Department at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Nuhu Kilishi, during a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in Abuja.

Kilishi attributed the worsening situation to escalating insecurity, economic hardships, and inflation.

“Only 20% of Nigerians are currently food secure, ensuring they have certainty about their next meal”,he said .

He emphasized that rampant violence, including banditry and kidnapping, has deterred farming activities, reducing cultivated land nationwide.

To combat the crisis, the government is implementing a Food and Nutrition Security Crisis Preparedness Plan (FNSCPP), which includes distributing seeds and inputs to support homestead gardening across all 774 Local Government Areas.

This initiative is supported by the World Bank in 21 states, with the remaining 15 states receiving federal funding.

Dr. Ritgak Tilley-Gyado, a Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, highlighted the shift from curative to preventive approaches in addressing malnutrition, noting that the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, initiated in 2018, has now entered its second phase with additional crisis response funding.

Furthermore, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, cited findings from the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey, revealing that over 40% of Nigerian households cannot afford nutritious meals.

She warned that this lack of access contributes to high maternal and child mortality rates and widespread clinical malnutrition.

The government urges immediate and coordinated action to address the multifaceted drivers of food insecurity, including insecurity, economic instability, and climate change impacts, to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis.