A severe food crisis is gripping Nigeria, with prices surging exponentially due to escalating production costs, rampant insecurity, and the looming threat of climate change. The country’s agricultural sector is struggling to cope with the devastating impact of floods, which are predicted to affect 31 states and 148 local governments in the coming months.
According to industry experts, the worsening insecurity has led to a significant shortfall in staple foods, while the surge in input costs has made farming unsustainable for many farmers. As a result, food prices have reached unprecedented heights, exacerbating the country’s worst cost of living crisis in decades. The situation is dire, with many Nigerians struggling to access basic necessities like bread, rice, and yam.
The government’s efforts to address the crisis have been inadequate, with farmers accusing the administration of neglecting critical aspects like insecurity, nutrition, and research investments. The administration’s plan for the sector in the last year did not address the main factor hampering farmers’ productivity, and it also failed to include other sub-sectors like livestock, forestry, and fishing, as well as investments in research, which are critical to attaining food security, creating jobs, and boosting export earnings.
Furthermore, the plan did not include nutrition, despite the country having the highest burden of malnutrition in Africa and the second-highest globally, according to UNICEF. The situation has increased the number of Nigerians going to bed hungry daily, with households grappling with the worst cost of living crisis in decades, which has deepened since President Bola Tinubu introduced bold but unpopular economic reforms in 2023.
Analysts warn that the situation will only worsen in the coming months, with the rainy season expected to further exacerbate the crisis. They urge the government to take immediate action to restore confidence in the agricultural sector and address the impending doom of widespread hunger and social unrest. Farmers are calling on the government to provide adequate support, including security, inputs, and infrastructure, to help them increase production and reduce prices.
The situation is indeed dire, and urgent action is needed to prevent a catastrophic food crisis in Nigeria. The government must rise to the challenge and take concrete steps to address the crisis, or risk facing the wrath of a hungry and frustrated population.
