Over 20m Nigerians risk starvation in 2024–FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Friday that at least 26.5 million Nigerians would face a food crisis in 2024.

The FAO country representative in Nigeria, Dominique Kouacou, stated this at the presentation of this month’s round of the Cadre Harmonise food security and early warning analysis in Abuja.

The CH analysis was conducted in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ascertain the food security situation and make projections for the future.

Kouacou, who was represented at the event by Assistant FAO representative, Programme, Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, said the current cycle was happening after an unusual lean season that witnessed several shocks, ranging from persistent insecurity situations like insurgency and banditry.

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He listed other challenges as natural resource-based conflicts, high cost of food and agricultural inputs due to high inflation, and severe dry spells in some states immediately after the onset of rains.

The FAO official warned that residents of Borno, Sokoto, Zamfara, and FCT would face a food crisis between June and August next year.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, said the analysis was conducted and validated by highly skilled professionals of the CH analysis task force over the past two weeks.