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The United Nations has once again projected that by 2030, approximately 82 million Nigerians, accounting for about 64 percent of the country’s population, may face food scarcity.
They have urged the government to address climate change, pest infestations, and other factors affecting agricultural productivity.
This prediction follows a continuous increase in food prices in Nigeria.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that the country’s food inflation rate reached a record high of 40.66 percent in May 2024, surpassing the previous month's 40.53 percent increase.
This surge marks the largest year-on-year rise in food prices since records began in 1996.
Historically, food inflation in Nigeria has averaged 13.42 percent, with the lowest point being -17.50 percent in January 2000.
In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organisation predicted that at least 2.6 million people in Borno, Sokoto, Zamfara states, and the FCT might face a food crisis between June and August 2024.
A government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis released in March 2024 revealed that around 4.8 million people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are experiencing severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years.
On the occasion of the 2024 May Day, Organised Labour expressed apprehension about the escalating food prices and fuel scarcity in Nigeria, stating that the current situation posed a threat to the survival of workers.
Additionally, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, recently cautioned that Nigeria might soon witness a hunger riot if the Federal Government does not act promptly.
During the launch of CropWatch in Abuja, the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, represented by UN official Taofiq Braimoh, emphasized the alarming results of this year's annual food security survey in Nigeria, revealing that approximately 22 millio
