25 million people in Nigeria at high risk of food insecurity in 2023

John Cain in Nigeria

Nearly 25 million people in Nigeria are at risk of facing hunger between June and August 2023 (lean season) if urgent action isn’t taken. This is because there isn’t enough food available to support the population during the summer season.

Food insecurity is an issue that is getting worse. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main drivers is the conflict in different parts of the country. Flooding is also a big problem because it can damage crops and make people very hungry.

There are a lot of people who are food insecure, which means they don’t have enough food. This is especially common during times of crisis, like right now. If nothing is done to help these people, it could get a lot worse.

Nigeria has a food security and nutrition problem. Mr. Matthias Schmale, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, has seen nutrition stabilization centres full of children who are very sick.

“We need to do something to help these children,” he said.

Children are especially at risk of food insecurity. More than 6 million Nigerians are food insecure, and this number is expected to increase in the future. This is because malnutrition can be deadly for children. In some of the country’s Bay states, the number of children who are affected by malnutrition is expected to increase from 1.74 million in 2022 to 2 million in 2023.

UNICEF is working with the government and other partners to invest in preventive nutrition interventions that will help ensure that vulnerable children have access to life-saving nutrition services. In 2022, UNICEF was able to reach a total of 650,000 children with these interventions across the six states mentioned.

In the northwest region around Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto states, a lot of people are food insecure and are at risk of developing malnutrition.

“If we don’t do something to help them, the number of people who are food insecure is projected to increase by about 2.9 million in the dry season.”