Two in 11 Nigerians face daily hunger – experts

Reports and data from various organizations, including the UN and the World Food Programme (WFP), confirm a severe food security crisis in Nigeria, with a significant portion of the population facing hunger and malnutrition.

Scope of the Problem

• Prevalence of Food Insecurity: As of July 2025, the United Nations reported that nearly 31 million Nigerians were experiencing acute food insecurity.¹
• Acute Hunger: In a projection for the June-August 2025 lean season, the WFP and its partners warned that 33.1 million people in Nigeria were expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.²
• Malnutrition: Malnutrition is a significant concern, especially among children.³ In 2020, an estimated 2.6 million children under five suffered from severe acute malnutrition.⁴ In 2025, an alarming 1.8 million children were projected to face severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment in six of the most affected states.⁵

Key Causes of Food Insecurity

Several interconnected factors contribute to the food security crisis in Nigeria:

• Insecurity and Conflict: Ongoing conflicts, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt, have displaced millions of people and made it difficult for farmers to access their land.⁶ This has severely disrupted food production and supply chains. Armed banditry and kidnapping in the northwest have also forced many farmers to abandon their farms.⁷
• Economic Challenges: Poverty is a major driver of food insecurity, with many Nigerians unable to afford food due to low wages and high prices.⁸ Food inflation has been a persistent issue, with the cost of staple foods like beans and local rice rising dramatically.⁹ The government’s removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023 further exacerbated the problem by increasing transportation costs and, consequently, the price of food.¹⁰
• Climate Change: Nigeria is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including frequent droughts and floods.¹¹ These extreme weather events damage crops and livestock, leading to reduced agricultural output. In 2024, floods affected millions of people and submerged vast areas of farmland, resulting in significant crop losses.¹²
• Agricultural System Deficiencies: Despite its vast agricultural land, Nigeria’s food production is hampered by several issues:
  • Low Productivity: The use of agricultural inputs like fertilizer is much lower than recommended, leading to a significant “yield gap.”¹³
  • Lack of Modernization: The country has a severe mechanization gap, with a very low density of functional tractors, hindering large-scale farming.¹⁴
  • Post-Harvest Losses: A significant amount of food is lost or wasted due to poor post-harvest handling, storage, and distribution systems.¹⁵

Impact of Food Insecurity

The consequences of food insecurity in Nigeria are widespread and severe:

• Health and Nutrition: Food insecurity leads to malnutrition, undernutrition, and nutritional deficiencies, which can impair physical and mental development.¹⁶ This is particularly devastating for children, leading to stunting, wasting, and increased susceptibility to diseases.¹⁷
• Poverty: Food insecurity and poverty are a vicious cycle.¹⁸ Insufficient financial resources make it difficult to buy food, while hunger and malnutrition reduce an individual’s ability to work, further perpetuating poverty.
• Social and Political Instability: The desperation for food can lead to social unrest and conflict.¹⁹ Rapid rural-to-urban migration due to food scarcity and displacement puts pressure on city resources, potentially creating tensions and security risks.²⁰
• Economic Productivity: Hunger and malnutrition impair the productivity of the workforce, especially in labor-intensive sectors like agriculture, which is a major part of Nigeria’s economy.