2026: 34.7m Nigerians may face acute food insecurity — FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has raised alarm that about 34.7 million Nigerians, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), could face severe food insecurity by June 2026 if urgent interventions are not implemented.

The warning was issued in the October 2025 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) Food and Nutrition Insecurity Analysis, jointly released by the FAO and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS). The report was presented on Friday in Abuja.

According to the analysis, about 650,730 people in Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara States could experience crisis-level food insecurity (CH Phase 3 or worse) between June and August 2026.

It also revealed that around 27.2 million people, including IDPs, are currently facing critical food insecurity across 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The report noted that six Local Government Areas in Borno State may slip into emergency levels of hunger, while the situation in Adamawa and Yobe States is expected to worsen.

Although some households have managed to maintain minimal food consumption, over 55 per cent reportedly do so by lowering meal quality or resorting to borrowing.

Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and promoting coordinated action to strengthen resilience.

“Together, let us continue to strengthen frameworks that will support Nigerians towards achieving zero hunger and food sufficiency,” Ogunbiyi said.

FAO Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Hussein Gadain, attributed the worsening situation to insecurity, insurgency, banditry, flooding, and climate-related shocks.

He added that rising costs of agricultural inputs — including fertilisers, seeds, and energy — continue to threaten production despite recent reductions in food prices.

Gadain urged partners in the Food Security Sector and Nutrition Cluster to enhance support for data collection and monitoring in vulnerable areas.

He disclosed that the October assessment covered 27 states and the FCT, an increase from 26 states in March, with nine states still outside the Cadre Harmonisé process.

He commended Ekiti State for independently participating in the exercise, describing it as a model of proactive state-level commitment to tackling food insecurity.

“Flooding and other climate events have destroyed croplands, increasing vulnerability in affected communities.

“The CH analysis remains our most important early warning tool,” he added.

The FAO emphasized that the Cadre Harmonisé report provides essential data to guide humanitarian programming, policy decisions, and national planning.

Experts recommended sustained humanitarian assistance, investment in climate-smart agriculture, promotion of agribusiness, and the early integration of CH findings into government policies to mitigate the looming crisis.

The Cadre Harmonisé is a biannual, government-led assessment of food and nutrition insecurity in Nigeria, supported by FAO, UN agencies, and development partners.

It offers a unified framework for identifying vulnerable populations and informing timely, evidence-based interventions across the 36 states and the FCT.