More than 31.8 million Nigerians are currently facing acute food scarcity due to insecurity and the removal of subsidy on petrol. 

According to a 2024 report by Cadre Harmonise, the “surge in food commodity prices due to the removal of fuel subsidy in addition to security challenges has placed millions of Nigerians in a precarious situation”.

Julie Osagie-Jacobs, spokesperson of the ministry of budget and economic planning, said the report was presented on Tuesday by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Green Action in Enterprises (GAIN), GIZ, and Agsys.

The report also indicated a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people assessed as vulnerable to acute food insecurity in 2023 — by the UN World Food Programme.

Emeka Obi, permanent secretary in the ministry of budget and economic planning, said the meeting was convened to discuss what ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are doing to achieve food security in Nigeria.

Obi appreciated the development partners “for their dedication in moving the food system forward in Nigeria while noting that their collective efforts would continually lead to innovative solutions that would strengthen the food systems”.

Sanjo Faniran, national convenor of food systems in Nigeria and director of social development in the ministry of budget and economic planning, said the review meeting aimed “to identify gaps, successes and challenges, offer recommendations as well as peer review, among MDAs”.

The stakeholders advocated for a multi-sectoral approach in tackling food security, adding that all the challenges must be addressed simultaneously.

In July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said food inflation in Nigeria surged to 40.87 percent.

Nigerians took to the streets from August 1-10 to protest against hunger and ballooning inflation. The country has been grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in decades since President Bola Tinubu ended the petrol subsidy regime and floated the currency in 2023.

The Cable