The Federal Government has raised alarm over worsening hunger across the country, revealing that about 161 million Nigerians are currently food insecure.
Alhaji Nuhu Kilishi, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, made this known in Abuja during a stakeholders’ meeting on a Food and Nutrition Security Crisis Preparedness Plan (FNSCPP).
Kilishi said food insecurity in Nigeria has jumped from 35% in 2014 to roughly 74%. “Only 20% of Nigerians are currently food secure, meaning they are certain of their next meal,” he said.
He blamed the worsening situation on insecurity, banditry, and high food prices, which have shrunk farm sizes and made healthy diets out of reach for many.
The meeting was held under the World Bank-funded Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, which aims to improve nutrition access, especially for vulnerable groups.
Kilishi also noted that the government had begun distributing seeds and other inputs for homestead gardening in all 774 local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank is supporting 21 states, while the federal government will cover the remaining states.
Dr Ritgak Tilley-Gyado, Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, said the ANRiN project had entered its second phase. She said the focus now is to strengthen Nigeria’s ability to prevent future food and nutrition crises.
Also speaking, Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, pointed to rising levels of malnutrition and hunger.
“More than 40% of households cannot afford nutritious meals,” she said, warning that the crisis is fuelling maternal and child deaths.
She added that tackling food insecurity demands a broader approach involving agriculture, education, water, and security sectors.
Mrs Ojuolape Solanke, Project Manager of ANRiN 2.0, said a national preparedness plan to address future food emergencies is expected to be ready in six months.
