No less than 2.6 million Nigerians in Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara States, including the Federal Capital Territory, might experience a food crisis between June and August of 2024, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
This was revealed on Friday in Abuja during the October–November round of the Cadre Harmonize food security and early warning analysis presentation, which was given by FAO country representative Dominique Kouacou.
Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, Assistant FAO Representative, Program, represented Kouacou.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, in order to determine the level of food security and provide future estimates, the CH study was carried out in 26 states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
He claims that the present cycle is occurring following an exceptionally poor season that saw a number of shocks, including banditry and ongoing insecurity conditions like insurgencies.
Conflicts centered around natural resources, the high cost of food and agricultural inputs as a result of rising inflation, and extreme dry periods in some areas right after the start of the rainy season were among the other difficulties he listed.
Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that throughout the previous two weeks, highly qualified experts from the CH analytical task group carried out and verified the study.
Even while the obstacles were formidable, he claimed they could be overcome and that the ministry’s efforts appeared to be being undermined by a number of issues.
Among these are the COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting effects on the world economy and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which is upending food networks and driving up input and food costs.
“This pressure has been further heightened by the removal of the petroleum subsidy, leading to increases in the consumer price index and food inflation,” he stated.
According to him, there have been ongoing concerns about both natural and human issues, including seasonal flooding, insecurity-related relocation, and climate change.
According to Umakhihe, a significant portion of the Nigerian populace was affected by the disturbances in terms of food consumption habits and the resulting increased usage of irreversible coping mechanisms.
According to him, the ministry is still committed to spearheading and assisting Nigeria’s CH process.
The permanent secretary also stated that the ministry would endeavor to include all 36 of the nation’s states into the CH analysis by the end of 2024.
