UN sounds alarm on hunger, warns of famine in Northern Nigeria

UN sounds alarm

Around 55 million people in violence-wracked West and Central Africa face acute food insecurity this year, and some are on the verge of famine in northern Nigeria, the United Nations (UN) said, yesterday. Violence across the region has triggered a hunger crisis that is being exacerbated by aid cuts, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) stated. According to the WFP, it had had to slash its food assistance in the area as funding dries up. In West and Central Africa, “a staggering 55 million people will be facing acute food…

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‘Terrorist attacks pushing 35m in the North towards severe hunger’ – UN warns 

UN warns on hunger in North

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning that escalating terrorist attacks and worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria are driving hunger to levels unseen in years, with millions now at risk as the 2026 lean season approaches. According to a statement issued yesterday, nearly 35 million people across northern Nigeria are projected to face severe food insecurity between May and September – the period between planting and harvest when rural communities typically struggle the most. In Borno State, the epicentre of the 16-year conflict with Boko…

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UN Food Agencies raise alarm over high spate of hunger in Nigeria

Global Hunger Index Nigeria2

The United Nations (UN) has raised concern over the rising levels of hunger in Nigeria, warning that millions of people in the country are at risk of severe food insecurity. In a joint report released yesterday by two UN food agencies — the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) — the organisations warned that millions more people around the world could face famine as funding shortfalls worsen already dire conditions. According to the Rome-based agencies, conflict and violence are driving acute food insecurity in most…

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ADC knocks Tinubu over UN Security Council agenda

ADC knocks Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s push for Nigeria to secure a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The party argued that such ambition is “absurd” at a time when Nigerians are facing daily attacks from bandits and terrorists. In a statement issued yesterday, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC faulted the administration for prioritising global recognition while failing to guarantee safety at home. “It is shocking that the Tinubu administration is asking for a permanent seat on the United…

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Democracy Day 2025: ‘Disinformation, division, dictators pushing freedom to the brink’ – UN, Global Index warn

UN, Global Index warn

As the world yesterday marked International Day of Democracy, the state of global democracy is facing its most serious crisis in decades. According to the United Nations (UN), what was once hailed as one of humanity’s greatest collective achievements is now under threat from authoritarian resurgence, disinformation campaigns, and growing political division.  “Democracy and the rule of law are under assault from disinformation, division and shrinking civic space,” warned UN Secretary-General, António Guterres. Fresh data from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2024 Democracy Index also paints a grim picture: only 25…

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UN condemns Borno massacre, as death toll in Darajimal attack hits 165

UN condemns Borno massacre

…Homes torched, villagers abducted, community in grief The United Nations (UN) has strongly condemned the mass killing of civilians in Darajimal Ward, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, where at least 165 people were reportedly slaughtered in a brutal attack by Boko Haram on Friday. Nigeria’s Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Fall, in a statement on Sunday, said preliminary reports confirmed that scores of men, women, and children were killed, while an unknown number were abducted, and many fled with injuries. At least 28 houses were also burned in the assault.…

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TICAD9: Africa deserves 2 permanent seats at UN Security Council – Tinubu

Tinubu on TICAD9

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday called for reforms at the United Nations (UN) to give Africa permanent representation on the Security Council. Speaking at the plenary session on peace and stability during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, Tinubu argued that Africa deserves two permanent seats with full privileges. The President said the continent also deserves additional non-permanent seats in line with the Ezulwini consensus and Sirte declaration. “It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the…

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UN lists Nigeria as ‘hunger hotspot’

UN lists Nigeria

…Warns acute food insecurity will worsen in North The United Nations (UN) yesterday reported that extreme hunger is intensifying in 13 global hot spots, with Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali at immediate risk of famine without humanitarian intervention. The “Hunger Hotspots” report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) blamed conflict, economic shocks, and climate-related hazards for conditions in the worst-hit areas. The report cited insecurity in northern Nigeria, which it said “is expected to deteriorate, with escalating violence driving further civilian…

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Economic Hardship: ??’Protests likely to be hijacked’ – UN warns

UN warns on protest

The United Nations (UN) Department of Safety and Security has warned that the planned protests in Nigeria may be hijacked by groups with ulterior motives. Recent reports indicate that various Nigerian groups are planning a nationwide protest from August 1 to 10, dubbed: ‘10 days of rage’, to address the countrys soaring cost of living and economic hardship. In a threat and risk assessment finding dated July 19, the UN expressed concerns about the possibility of violence, citing past instances where similar protests in Nigeria escalated. The threat and risk…

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Food Crisis: ’82m Nigerians may go hungry soon’, UN warns

Food at markets

The United Nations (UN), has again predicted that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 percent of the countrys population, may go hungry by 2030, calling on the Government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity. The prediction comes in the wake of a persistent hike in food prices in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS), Nigerias food inflation rate hit a record high of 40.66 per cent in May 2024, surpassing the previous months 40.53 increase. This surge represents the largest year-on-year…

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