FAO Warns of Impending Hunger Crisis in Nigeria - Key Regions and Challenges
In a recent report, the Food and Agricultural Organisation has issued a warning about a looming hunger crisis in Nigeria, projecting that around 26.5 million Nigerians could face food insecurity in 2024.
The report highlights that FCT, Sokoto, Borno, and Zamfara states are particularly vulnerable to hunger in the upcoming year.
Dominique Kouacou, the FAO country representative, conveyed this distressing news during the presentation of the Cadre Harmonise food security and early warning analysis for the October to November period in Abuja.
The study, conducted across 26 states and the FCT, aimed to assess the food security situation and provide future projections. Kouacou pointed out that the current cycle follows an atypical lean season characterized by a multitude of challenges, including persistent insecurity issues like insurgency and banditry.
Other significant obstacles include conflicts related to natural resources, surging food and agricultural input costs due to high inflation, and severe dry spells in some states shortly after the start of the rainy season.
Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, noted that the analysis had been carried out and endorsed by a team of highly skilled professionals from the Cadre Harmonise analysis task force during the past two weeks.
This study assumes a pivotal role at a time when governments at all levels are diligently working to revitalize Nigeria's economy. Despite substantial challenges, the Permanent Secretary emphasized that these hurdles were not insurmountable, even though certain factors seem to hinder the ministry's efforts.
He cited the lingering negative impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and the Russia-Ukraine war as factors currently disrupting food systems and driving up input and food prices. The removal of the petroleum subsidy has further exacerbated this pressure, leading to food inflation and consumer price index increases.
Furthermore, the Permanent Secretary mentioned that the Cadre Harmonise (CH) analysis will be integrated into all 36 states before the end of 2024, underscoring its long-term importance in addressing the nation's food security concerns.
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