By Michael Nnebife
The Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, says about 26.5 million Nigeria’s population may face more hunger between June and August 2024.
The international body identified Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara States, including the Federal Capital Territory, as the would-be bigger risk.
According to our source, the FAO representative in Nigeria, Dominique Kouacou, disclosed this, April 12, in Abuja, at the presentation of the October to November Round of the Cadre Harmonise, CH, food security and early warning analysis.
The Cadre Harmonise analysis was conducted in 26 states and the FCT to ascertain the food security situation and make projections for the future.
Speaking at the event, Kouacou, represented by Abubakar Suleiman, assistant representative, FAO, said the current cycle was happening after an unusual lean season that witnessed several shocks, ranging from persistent insecurity situations like insurgency, and banditry.
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.
For his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ernest Umakhihe, said the challenges were enormous but surmountable.
The Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director of Special Duties, Fausat Lawal, noted that many reasons appeared to be undermining the ministry’s efforts.
‘Notable among them are the lingering negative impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and the Russia-Ukraine war which is currently disrupting the food systems and spiking up input prices and food prices,’ he said.
‘The removal of petroleum subsidy has further heightened this pressure, resulting in food inflation and increases in the consumer price index,’ Umakhihe noted.
He added that environmental and human factors such as climate change, displacements due to insecurity, and seasonal flooding regimes were recurrent concerns.
Umakhihe said the disruptions had implications on food consumption patterns and the attendant high use of irreversible coping strategies among the country’s large population.
He assured that the ministry remained resolute in leading and supporting the CH process in Nigeria.
The permanent secretary added that before the end of the year 2024, the ministry would work to mainstream all 36 states of the country in the CH analysis.
