At least 33 million Nigerians will live in hunger by 2025 according to a report by Cadre Harmonisé amid the hardship in the country since President Bola Tinubu’s administration took over in May 2023.
With the country’s population currently projected at around 223.8 million, the increase in the number of Nigerians that would live in hunger in 2025 rose from 7 million in 2023.
The report by Cadre Harmonisé led by the Federal Government and supported by partners, including the United Nations World Food Programme, decried food insecurity in Nigeria, with 33.1 million people projected to face high levels of food insecurity between June to August 2025.
Between October and December 2024, 25.1 million people are likely to experience food insecurity. Among them, 3.8 million live in the northeastern states. The figure is projected to rise to 5 million by 2025.
“This represents an alarming increase of 7 million people from the same period last year, driven by economic hardship, coupled with record-high inflation, the effects of climate change, and persistent violence in the northeastern states of the country.
“Between October and December 2024, 25.1 million people are expected to experience acute food insecurity, even at the peak of the harvest season. Of this, 3.8 million live in the northeastern states, and this number is projected to rise to 5 million,” Channels TV quoted the report.
According to the WFP, 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of acute malnutrition.
“Approximately 5.4 million children and nearly 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition or wasting in six of the most affected states: Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe in the northeast, and Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara in the northwest. Of these, an alarming 1.8 million children could face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment,” WFP said.
According to the report, “the rise in the projection was driven by current economic hardship, record-high inflation, climate change impacts and persistent violence in the northeastern states”.
“Other major factors driving food insecurity in the country include the effects of climate change, particularly floods, which directly impact the rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities and services.
“Trend analyses for the northeastern states indicate consistently high or rising food insecurity levels since 2018. The number of people requiring urgent assistance has increased by at least 4 million annually during the lean season since June 2020,” the statement added.
