Posted by In 2024, seven states in the Northwest and Northeast will face a food security catastrophe, according to the most recent World Bank assessment on the topic.
The survey highlighted that Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara states are particularly vulnerable due to instability and armed conflicts, which are lowering living standards throughout the region.
According to the report, Nigeria isn’t the only West African country that will face food shortages. Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger are also on the list.
From now until May 2024, the majority of West and Central African regions are expected to experience Minimal food insecurity (IPC Phase 1), with a small number of locations being classified as Stressed IPC 2. Persistent insecurity, armed conflict, and worsening livelihoods are the main reasons why Nigeria (north of Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states) would reach Crisis food security levels (IPC Phase 3), according to the report.
It went on to say that due to low household food stocks, market access, and humanitarian relief, regions in the Northeastern states including Abadam, Bama, Guzamala, Marte, etc., may face emergency food security levels (IPC Phase 4).
Inflation rates exceeding 5% were recorded by more than 63.2 percent of low-income countries, up 1.3 percentage points from the last food update on January 17, 2023. Similarly, 73.9 percent of lower-middle-income countries and 48.5 percent of upper-middle-income countries had similar or unchanged inflation rates.
Over 44.4% of high-income nations reported food inflation levels exceeding 5%, a reduction of 1.9% from the previous food update, according to the World Bank.
Food price inflation surpassed general inflation in 71% of the 165 nations where data was available, according to the research.
The recent CPI data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) places food inflation at above 33%, further highlighting the dire circumstances many states in Nigeria find themselves in as food prices mount roofs.
Some five million people in Nigeria could be hungry in 2024, according to a warning issued in October by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
About 78% of Africans have been unable to afford a healthy diet since the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic began, according to the United Nations (UN) Africa Regional Overview on Food Security and Nutrition.
The issue of food hunger was transferred to the National Security Council by President Tinubu in July, after he proclaimed a national emergency. But while food costs keep going up, the move hasn’t made much of a difference.
Protests over increasing food costs and widespread hunger in Niger State erupted a few days ago, as reported by 460PLAY