The Nigerian government has been warned of severe hunger unless drastic action is taken. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an arm of the United Nations (UN) gave this warning in Abuja. It stated that by 2030 about 80 to 82 million Nigerians may plunge into intense hunger in the country as a result of the present food insecurity.

The Humanitarian Coordinator of the Organisation, represented by, Taofiq Braimoh announced this at a recent launch of CropWatch in Abuja. According to him, about 22 million Nigerians face food insecurity in 2024, quoting a recent survey.

“The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducted an annual food security survey. This year’s results are alarming: approximately 22 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2024, and around 80-82 million are at risk of severe food insecurity by 2030,” he said.

This comes as Nigeria’s food inflation rose to 40.66 percent in May 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The report indicated that staple foods, rice, beans, garlic, yam, and others rose by at least 130 percent.

The situation has further deepened the misery index and access to food by millions of Nigerians. Although President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his economic team had always assured of rescue by recently declaring an emergency on food insecurity, the problem has persisted.

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