…Says 17m face ‘worst food crisis in a decade’
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that worsening hunger in northern Nigeria is pushing some desperate residents into joining bandit and armed groups, as more than 17 million people across conflict-affected states battle the region’s worst food security crisis in nearly a decade.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the UN agency said a recent Cadre Harmonisé analysis revealed that over 17 million people in nine northern states are currently facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity – an increase of nearly two million people above earlier projections.
According to the WFP, persistent conflict remains the principal driver of the humanitarian emergency, particularly in the North-East, where years of insurgency, displacement and restricted access to farmland have devastated livelihoods and agricultural production.
Borno State continues to bear the brunt of the crisis, with more than three million people suffering acute food insecurity. Of that figure, over 750,000 are experiencing severe hunger, while more than 10,000 people have already fallen into catastrophic hunger conditions. The agency described the situation as a stark indication that conflict, forced displacement and dwindling humanitarian assistance are pushing vulnerable communities to the brink.
The WFP also raised concerns about the growing security implications of the food crisis, noting reports from affected communities that some individuals are joining bandit groups and other armed organisations in exchange for food or income. It warned that the suspension of food aid in certain areas is compelling families to adopt desperate survival strategies, increasing the risk that hunger could become a powerful recruitment tool for criminal and extremist networks.
WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Kinday Samba, said the crisis is no longer confined to traditional insurgency hotspots but is spreading across wider parts of northern Nigeria. “What concerns us most is how this crisis is expanding. For years, insurgent attacks and violence were largely concentrated in parts of north-east Nigeria. Today, they are spreading across a much wider area and forcing people from farmland, driving displacement and restricting humanitarian access, meaning hunger is quick to follow”, Samba said.
The agency disclosed that humanitarian operations are facing mounting challenges due to worsening insecurity and severe funding shortages. According to the WFP, the number of locations inaccessible to aid workers has doubled, with 15 additional communities now only partially reachable. Attacks along major transportation routes and the proliferation of illegal checkpoints have further disrupted the movement of relief supplies, making air transport the only viable option in some locations.
It further warned that rising hunger is increasing cases of displacement, exploitation and gender-based violence, particularly against women and children, at a time when humanitarian resources are at their lowest levels “When people lose access to food, the risks of displacement, exploitation and instability increase. Yet resources are at their lowest at the time they are needed most”, Samba added.
To sustain food assistance, nutrition programmes and critical logistics operations across northern Nigeria, the WFP said it requires $89 million over the next six months. The agency cautioned that without urgent financial support and improved humanitarian access, the crisis could deteriorate further, fueling greater displacement, insecurity and social instability across the region.
