Nigeria is heading towards one of its worst hunger crises, with more than 30 million people expected to face food shortages next year, marking a one-third increase from this year, according to a joint report by the government and United Nations released on Friday.
Nigeria, which has Africa’s largest population, is struggling with a severe cost of living crisis that sparked deadly protests in August.
The economic situation has deteriorated since President Bola Tinubu introduced austerity measures, including devaluing the naira and ending a long-standing petrol subsidy, leading to rising inflation.
The analysis, conducted twice yearly across 26 states and the federal capital, predicts that 33.1 million people will face food insecurity by August next year, up from 24.8 million by the end of this year.
“Several factors are driving this trend, but most prominently are economic hardship coupled with record high inflation, a record rise in food prices and record high transportation costs,” stated the report.
Finance Minister Wale Edun announced on Thursday that 5 million households have received cash payments of 25,000 naira as part of the government’s support programme for vulnerable families.
Rising food prices remain the main driver of inflation, which increased to 32.70% annually in September from 32.15% in August.
Agricultural production continues to suffer from flooding and insecurity in northern states, pushing food prices even further beyond many families’ reach.
Recent floods destroyed an estimated 1.6 million hectares of crops, primarily in the northern food-producing states, potentially leading to production losses of 1.1 million tonnes across maize, sorghum and rice crops, according to the joint statement.