As Nigeria and Nigerians continue to reel in economic hardship, a report by the Cadre Harmonise, (CH), on Thursday, indicated that the protracted fuel scarcity, worsen insecurity, 2022 flood disaster and other factors will push 24.8 million Nigerians into a deep poverty crisis between June and August 2023.
Its technical and financial support come from various global, regional, and national partners including Food and Agricultural Organisation, Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel, CILSS, WFP, Save the Children International, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, (UNICEF), Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), amongst others.
The March 2023 cycle of the Cadre Harmonise (CH) analysis covered 26 States of Nigeria, namely: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The report reads in part: “Insecurity, especially insurgency in the North-East States, particularly in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, still persists; armed banditry and kidnapping for money ransom in some North -West States such as Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna, as well as North-Central States of Benue and Niger, which have also lingered.
“Prolonged scarcity of petroleum motor spirit (PMS), commonly called petrol, and the associated hike in pump price across the States led to the astronomical rise in transport fares and cost of food products in Nigerian markets”.
“Consistent rising price of food commodities and agricultural inputs across Nigerian markets is one of the drivers of food insecurity. The general consumer price index shows an increase from 15.7% in February 2022 to 21.9% in February 2023 (that is 39.49% point increase) year-on-year”, it added.
Meanwhile, the report also pointed out that the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and its multiplier effects was one of the key drivers of the crisis, as Nigerians were helpless and could not have access to cash that would have enabled them to purchase food items, rather they were stranded.
The report also showed that the period under review food consumption level was grossly inadequate and below the desired threshold across most of the States. For instance, in some local government areas in some States including Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, food consumption is so critical that most of the LGAS fall under the crisis phase.
According to the report, based on some factors, there was serious food and nutrition insecurity challenges, “Protracted insecurity, especially, insurgency in the North-East States, mostly in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states; armed conflict, criminality and banditry in some North-West States (Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna), as well as North-Central States of Benue and Niger”, it stated.
