The United Nations has raised alarm over a rapidly deepening hunger crisis in Nigeria, revealing that over 31 million Nigerians are now suffering from acute food insecurity. This revelation came in a recent report by the World Food Programme (WFP), which paints a grim picture of rising hunger across the country.
According to the WFP, only 21% of Nigeria’s $130 million humanitarian appeal has been funded, leaving critical food assistance programs on the brink of collapse. The funding shortfall threatens to cut off food support for over 1.3 million vulnerable people, particularly in the northeastern regions where the impact of armed conflict and displacement remains severe.
“Without immediate funding, we will be forced to suspend food assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in dire need,” a WFP spokesperson warned.
The crisis is further fueled by widespread insecurity, climate change, inflation, and displacement — all of which have pushed families to the edge of survival. In hard-hit states like Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, aid workers report long queues at food centers and alarming levels of malnutrition among children and pregnant women.
The UN’s warning comes amid broader concerns over a growing hunger emergency across West and Central Africa, but Nigeria — the region’s most populous nation — is at the heart of the storm.
International donors are now being urged to respond swiftly to prevent a large-scale humanitarian disaster. Meanwhile, local NGOs and community organizations are doing what they can, but many say their resources are overwhelmed.
What’s at Stake?
Without intervention, Nigeria risks witnessing a repeat of previous famine-like conditions that devastated communities and claimed thousands of lives. Aid experts say urgent funding and improved access to affected areas are the only ways to turn the tide.