NATIONAL NEWS
About 26.5 Million May Grapple With Food Insecurity In 2024, Says Report
According to a 2023 Cadre Harmonisé estimate of food insecurity, over 26.5 million Nigerians may face severe food insecurity in 2024.
This data was given by the Nigerian government and its partners during the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity.
In addition, roughly 9 million children are in danger of acute malnutrition or wasting. An alarming 2.6 million of these children may suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require crucial nutrition care.
The Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis, conducts studies biannually (in March and October) across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). With the Government’s leadership and the United Nations (UN) system’s support, the latest projection for 2024 indicates a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people currently vulnerable to food insecurity from October to December 2023.
According to the report, several factors are driving this trend, including ongoing conflicts, climate change impacts, escalating inflation, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities (in part due to the devaluation of the naira and the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy), adding that persistent violence in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) hinders food availability and access, with additionally, armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest and north-central states, including Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, and Niger, exacerbate the prevailing economic struggles.
According to a joint press statement on Friday by the World Food Programme, FAO, UNICEF, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, underscored the significance of the Cadre Harmonisé during a presentation in Abuja.
Represented by Mrs. Fausat Lawal, Director of Special Duties, Umekhihe highlighted that despite Government efforts, external challenges like the ongoing global economic effects of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, which disrupts food systems, persist.
Of the 18.6 million people who experience food insecurity today, 3.3 million live in the northeastern states of the BAY region. This number might rise to 26.5 million nationwide by the height of the 2024 lean season ( and to 4.4 million in the BAY states) if immediate action is not taken.
The FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, while calling on the Government to expand CH coverage to the remaining 10 states said, FAO would continue to support the Government and the people of Nigeria to overcome food insecurity and malnutrition.
He stated: “In 2024, alongside our partners, FAO’s focus will be on agrifood systems transformation with deliberate attention on resilience-building, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and providing extension services.”
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that floods in October 2023 in Adamawa impacted around 8,500 households, leading to mass displacements, particularly among women, children, and the elderly. Such extreme weather patterns, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, are further undermining food security.
“Food insecurity and malnutrition are among the main drivers of humanitarian need in the BAY states,” said the head of OCHA in Nigeria, Mr. Trond Jensen.
“People have been forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex and child labour to stay alive. Over the past year, dozens of farmers have lost their lives, and others have been abducted or injured while eking out a living outside the security perimeters of Borno’s garrison towns due to limited farming lands and few or no livelihood options.”
UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, emphasized the urgent need for action. She said, “Every child deserves proper nutrition and a life free from hunger. It’s not merely a responsibility but a moral duty for governments and the global community to ensure these rights are upheld.”
Highlighting the long-standing issue, WFP’s Country Representative, David Stevenson, said: “The hunger crisis in Nigeria, fueled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast, needs urgent addressing. Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country”.
Trend analysis for the northeastern states indicates consistently high or rising food insecurity levels since 2018. Over 4 million people have needed urgent assistance annually since June 2020.
The United Nations urges the Nigerian Government, donors, and stakeholders to commit resources and implement measures to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster, emphasizing the need for immediate support across the nation.
The Cadre Harmonisé analysis covered 26 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the FCT. It represents a collaborative effort led by the Nigerian government, in association with regional technical agencies, UN bodies, and NGOs. The Cadre Harmonisé serves as a comprehensive tool to evaluate present and future food and nutrition scenarios.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has underscored the urgent need for concerted global action to address the pressing challenges of climate change.
The Minister observed while speaking at the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tuggar said that Nigeria is leading the fight against climate change in Africa by setting ambitious and realistic goals.
He said: “Nigeria has ratified its commitments through a Climate Change Act and a National Council on Climate Change (NCCC). Through these, Nigeria set ambitious, albeit realistic, goals, and I am proud to state that we have hit the ground running, transforming our commitments into tangible climate action.”
He emphasized the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility in combating the escalating climate crisis.
Tuggar also posited that “Nigeria is on track to deploy 100 Electric buses, next year with plans to increase to 1,000 E-buses, aiming to become the country with the largest electric mass transit fleet in Africa. This initiative will reduce emissions and indicate my administration’s commitment to catalyzing the market for green project deployments, job creation, and industrialization across critical sectors.”
The Minister while acknowledging the severity of the climate emergency, highlighted the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and ecosystems across the globe.
He stressed the importance of upholding the principles outlined in the Paris Agreement, emphasizing the need for all nations to commit to ambitious and transparent climate targets.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of Nigeria to its nationally determined contributions, underscoring the nation’s dedication to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
Tuggar however called upon the international community to transcend political differences and work collaboratively towards meaningful and immediate climate solutions., expressing a resounding commitment to fostering international cooperation, encouraging innovation, and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.
He highlighted Nigeria’s support for initiatives that advance climate resilience, technology transfer, and capacity-building in developing nations, and emphasized the importance of financial commitments from developed nations to assist developing countries in their transition to low-carbon economies.
Abia State Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has reiterated that his government is focused on delivering good governance to the people of the State.
Governor Otti spoke on Monday when he met with a delegation of Bulgarian diplomats led by the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Nigeria, His Excellency, Yanko Yordanov.
In a statement from Kazie Uko, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Otti said that his government was very serious and focused on impacting positively the lives of the people of the state.
“The government we have in Abia State right now is very serious. We are focused on delivering good governance to our people, and good governance speaks to welfare, it speaks to healthcare delivery, it speaks to education, and of course security and economic well-being of the people, and we are single-minded in delivering those to our people,” he said.
Governor Otti, who said that his government was willing to partner with the Bulgarian government, stated that he was impressed with the areas the Bulgarian government had chosen to assist the State.
“I am very happy in the areas that you have chosen to intervene and to support us; food is everything and there’s no important security you will be talking about without talking about food security,” the Governor declared.
According to Governor Otti, Abia is blessed with good vegetation and boasts of agricultural products such as cocoa, oil palm, rubber, cashew, and maize among others.
“We are luckily blessed with good vegetation and naturally, we produce a lot of food. I believe that with improved seedlings and better technology and of course, the training you talked about, there is no better time to come to us than now. We are still at the drawing table,” he enthused.
Dr. Otti, widely acknowledged as the most performing governor among his peers, said his government would welcome a trade partnership with Bulgaria and access to the European market for products from AbiaState.
“I believe that this is the time we should begin to look at it as a serious business. We are happy and we are willing to work with you at any level that you want to make a success out of the land God has blessed us with and all products that can come out of it,” he said, adding that the State would submit itself to superior training and technology.
Earlier, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria, said the delegation was in the State to seek collaboration with Abia to boost agriculture, trade, education, and human capital development.
“In more concrete terms, the project we wish to bring to your attention will be offering comprehensive understanding about the need to develop, not only economic ties but also the people-to-people exchange,” Yordanov said.
He further explained that the proposed partnership would come with a training support package in agricultural technology and skills.
“Abia State is widely known as a State where all the opportunities exist. This is why my country and private investors desire to collaborate and develop a partnership with Your Excellency,” the Ambassador explained.
In attendance at the meeting with the Governor were some members of the State Executive Council, among whom were the Deputy Governor, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Kenneth Kalu; Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, and Industry, Dr. ChimezieUkaegbu; Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof Monica Ironkwe and Commissioner for Education, Prof Uche Eme-Uche.
There was also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce, and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze.
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Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has urged Nigeria to compete with China in terms of production rather than delegation size to a specialised meeting of experts.
Obi blasted the waste and inappropriate imitation of a country painstakingly pulling its people out of poverty in a series of tweets on his X handle on Sunday in response to the growing big number of Nigeria delegates to the United Nations, COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Reports from Dubai show that Nigeria equals China with 1411 contingents to the conference, the highest in the global event aside from the host UAE.
But in a satirical response to the size of Nigeria’s contingent Obi said “In a twist of sad irony, let me congratulate the giant of Africa, Nigeria, for matching the great China, with the same number of contingents at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Nigeria’s contingent to COP28 totaled 1411, the same number as the Chinese contingents.
The LP standard bearer noted that While China’s budget for 2024 is about $4 trillion, about $2,860 per head; Nigeria’s budget is about $33 billion, about $165 per head. China has a high Human Development Index, HDI, with a ranking of 79 out of 191 countries measured, and Nigeria has a low HDI, with a ranking of 163 out of 191 countries measured. Nigeria has more people living in ‘Multi-Dimensional’ poverty than China, despite China having seven times our population.
“Most importantly, the vast majority of those in the Nigerian delegation to COP28 are non-relevant civil servants or relations, friends, and hangers-on of high government officials. Most of them hardly understand or have anything to do with Climate Change.
“This huge contingent is at public expense and at a time when most Nigerians can hardly afford food and basic needs as a result of economic hardship. I pray earnestly that a day will come soon enough when we can focus on competing with China on productivity and the miracle of migrating the highest number of its citizens out of poverty over a relatively short time.
“As we have kept emphasising, we must stop waste as an addition to our government and nation. We urgently need to cut the cost of governance and invest in production.
Obi finally stated that “we need to de-emphasise unnecessary ceremony and showmanship as a mode of government behaviour.
“We need to tie spending to necessity and national Priority pointing out that a New Nigeria is possible but we only need to do the reasonable and the necessary.”
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