As she wraps up a visit to Nigeria, Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), calls on public and private sector leaders to collaborate in order to address the underlying causes of hunger and promote peace in the country amid escalating levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.
Nigeria has enormous agricultural potential, but 32 million people are currently struggling to feed themselves due to a massive humanitarian catastrophe brought on by poverty, recurrent conflicts, and climate shocks.
The Executive Director saw firsthand how violence, climatic shocks, and high food and fuel prices are pushing millions into severe hunger and malnutrition during her five-day trip to Nigeria.
“What I have saw and heard in Damasak, Borno State, is quite upsetting. As the number of children suffering from severe malnutrition rises and the continuous fighting keeps millions from returning to their homes and farms, an urgent humanitarian crisis is developing in northern Nigeria,” Executive Director McCain stated. “In order for farming and food production to resume and this hunger crisis to be stopped in its tracks, the people there desperately need peace and stability.”
The lives of children, pregnant women and girls, and entire communities are in peril due to the protracted humanitarian situation, which has been made worse by an economic slowdown, high inflation, rising food costs, and the recent rains. Due to conflict-related forced relocation, more than 3.6 million people in northeastern and northwest states are unable to access their farmlands or participate in other economic activities. More than 400,000 people have also been temporarily relocated in and around Maiduguri as a result of the terrible flooding that struck the city in September, which was dubbed the worst in 30 years.
Nine million children nationwide are at danger of acute malnutrition, and the number of malnourished children is on the rise. Compared to 2023, there have been 40 and 70 percent more children admitted for severe and moderate acute malnutrition, respectively.
“WFP is on the ground, doing everything it can to support government-led efforts to address the most pressing needs. The World Food Program has provided 32,000 metric tons of food and US$ 40 million in cash entitlements to 1.6 million individuals impacted by the ongoing humanitarian crisis so far this year. However, given the scope of the situation, a reaction beyond these urgently needed humanitarian measures is required,” the Director stated.
If given the attention it deserves, Nigeria, the most populous and economically significant country in West Africa, could play a significant role in regional stabilization and in ensuring millions of people have access to sustained food security and nutrition.
In a groundbreaking food systems program, WFP is collaborating with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Government of Nigeria to help communities break free from the cycle of conflict by creating the inclusive, resilient, and efficient food systems they require to become self-sufficient.
WFP will work to address post-harvest losses, poor dietary diversity, limited access to food, and limited access to agricultural inputs in Nigeria through the “Out of Conflict, into Solutions” food systems strategy.
Over a third of Nigeria’s workforce, up to 80% in rural areas, are employed in agriculture, which is the backbone of the country’s economy. One of the main forces behind the creation of vast supply chains that encompass production, processing, manufacturing, and distribution is the private sector.
The largest humanitarian organization in the world, the United Nations World Food Programme, uses food aid to help people recover from disasters, conflict, and the effects of climate change while also saving lives in emergencies.
