Humanitarian agencies and development partners have warned that northern Nigeria’s deepening hunger crisis requires urgent, coordinated investment in resilient food systems, not just emergency aid.
In a joint reflection published on July 4, 2025, the World Food Programme (WFP), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) said conflict, climate shocks and economic collapse have pushed millions in northern Nigeria into severe food insecurity, while also exposing opportunities for long-term recovery if the right investments are made.
According to the authors, Nigeria now has an estimated 30.6 million food-insecure people, including about 10 million across three northern states. The country also records 17 million malnourished children — the highest number in Africa and the second highest globally after India. Once a national breadbasket, much of the north now depends heavily on humanitarian food assistance.
They noted that insecurity has cut farmers off from their fields, disrupted trade routes and displaced millions, driving up food prices and weakening livelihoods. Poor infrastructure, high transport costs and post-harvest losses of up to 30–50 per cent for some crops continue to undermine agricultural productivity, while rising input costs and labour shortages worsen farmers’ incomes.
Despite these challenges, the institutions said signs of resilience are emerging in areas where violence has eased. Farmers are returning to their land, women’s cooperatives are processing food for local markets, and youth-led logistics enterprises are beginning to take shape. These “islands of functionality,” they said, demonstrate that food systems in conflict-affected regions are not entirely broken, but require sustained investment to scale.
The report highlighted WFP’s shift from traditional food aid to food assistance, which has enabled about US$200 million annually to be invested in Nigeria through locally purchased food, cash transfers and e-vouchers redeemable in local markets. However, it warned that poorly designed cash-based interventions can sometimes undermine local agriculture when imports displace domestic production.
The authors argued that food assistance should be reimagined as an economic platform capable of rebuilding food systems, revitalising markets and supporting long-term peace and recovery. They called for expanded local procurement, food system–sensitive cash transfers, and structured investment portfolios that blend grants, concessional loans and technical assistance, particularly in fragile environments.
They also urged governments and partners to prioritise reducing post-harvest losses, improving access to inputs, cutting transport costs and modernising food processing through climate-smart technologies. Empowering smallholder farmers, women and youth — who face barriers to land, finance and training — was identified as critical to inclusive recovery.
The authors concluded that northern Nigeria illustrates a broader global challenge: while humanitarian aid remains essential, it must be linked to long-term development strategies. Properly structured food system investments, they said, can reduce dependence on aid, improve nutrition, create jobs and foster stability.
“As governments, donors and development partners look to scale support in fragile regions, the question is no longer whether we can afford to invest — but whether we can afford not to,” the report stated.
