Northern Nigeria: 11m people facing acute food insecurity in six states – WEP

Millions of Nigerians face hunger and malnutrition despite the passage of the Right to Food Act in 2023, which mandates the government to ensure food security.

The situation is so dire in Northern Nigeria, where food insecurity is exacerbated by insecurity, poor policy implementation, and economic challenges, with reports of a dramatic increase in the number of severely malnourished children requiring treatment.

A World Food Programme (WFP) Nigeria Situation Report, explained that 11 million people across six states in northeast and northwest Nigeria are facing acute food insecurity in 2025.

It attributed the crisis to persistent insecurity, skyrocketing food and fuel prices, climate shocks, and mass displacement, leaving millions struggling to access food and essential nutrition.

A UNICEF report further explained that one in three Nigerian children under five, approximately 11 million, are experiencing severe food poverty, making them 50 per cent more likely to suffer from life-threatening cases, while the report identified inadequate nutrition, aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods, and economic hardships as key factors driving child food poverty.

In 2024 alone, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) stated that it treated over 300,000 children for malnutrition, a 25 per cent increase from 2023.

Of these, 75,000 required critical inpatient care, while 250,000 were managed through outpatient programmes across seven states: Borno, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi.

MSF country representative, Dr Simba Tirima explained that the humanitarian organisation had witnessed an alarming surge in admissions, surpassing previous years across all its treatment centres, stressing that malnutrition is worsening, with admissions exceeding past years in all locations.

It observed that the crisis is fuelled by multiple factors, including rising food prices, insecurity affecting farming activities, and climate-related shocks such as flooding, which have led to significant crop losses.

According to Tirima, “Without an adequate supply of therapeutic foods, we will struggle to effectively treat malnourished children, which could lead to preventable fatalities.”

MSF explained that it had begun stockpiling supplies before the peak malnutrition season, particularly in Bauchi State, which operates a 250-bed inpatient facility and three outpatient feeding centres, assuring that the organisation remains concerned that decreased funding for other humanitarian agencies could further strain its response capacity.

It, therefore, called for urgent government intervention to address the crisis, stressing the need for stronger primary healthcare services, greater funding for nutrition programmes, and expanded vaccination campaigns.

Tirima further explained, “Authorities and partners must take greater action to address the malnutrition crisis.”

With malnutrition cases already surging well before the traditional peak season, MSF fears that 2025 could bring an even graver crisis, while the organisation warned that without immediate intervention, northern Nigeria could see record levels of malnutrition, leading to increased child mortality rates.