Nigeria at the mercy of hunger amid abundant arable land

…As insecurity ravages communities, frustrates efforts at farming

…52.8m people exposed to hunger portends grim reality

The Nigerian story is a pitiable one. A country sitting on wealth and limitless possibilities but wallowing in hunger and deprivation.

Blessed with arable lands, especially in the north, but the majority of the vast expanse of such lands lie in waste. They have become a rendezvous for assorted criminal elements.

For years now, farmers have been chased away from their farmlands across the country; exposing a sizable proportion of the population to hunger.

“It’s obvious the government has neglected its core duty which is protection of lives, livelihoods and property,” Abiodun Olorundero, COO, Praisino Farms, Ogun State, said.

According to him, the government must ensure that farmers and the entire citizenry are kept safe from any form of insecurity.

Olorundero also advocated for an overhaul of the country’s security architecture, and urged the government to increase its investment in the agricultural sector of the economy.

“Over the years, if the government had focused on food security, then life and property; insecurity wouldn’t be ravaging our economy today.

“Adequate investment in the Agric industry; not this charade I see where politicians are left in charge,” he said.

According to a recent report by the World Bank, global food and nutrition insecurity is increasing despite broadly stable supplies of major staples.

Since the World Bank’s last update in March, agricultural and cereal price indices have risen by 3 and 4 percent, respectively.

The report also noted that conflict and climate shocks continue to be the primary drivers of acute food insecurity.

Accordingly, it indicated that up to 67 million people are in need of food assistance in East and Southern Africa, with 14 localities considered at risk of famine, especially in Sudan.

The report also indicated that about 52.9 million people are projected to be acutely food insecure in West and Central Africa during the June to August 2026 lean season.

Femi Oke, secretary general, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN),

said the government and security agencies should work more closely with local authorities across farming communities.

“If the government can strengthen the local vigilante from every community and our hunters through All Farmers Association of Nigeria; since we know the trail of our land, it will be easier for farmers to chase the bandits and secure back our land,” he said.

In view of this, Oke added that food production will definitely be abundant for consumption for Nigerians. “Introduction of State Police is another option to curb the menace of insecurity.”

According to the World Bank, food and nutrition security conditions in West and Central Africa remain fragile despite favourable harvests, which is being impacted by the growing insecurity across the Sahel.

The World Bank’s final estimates for the 2025/26 season show that regional cereal production reached 80.4 million tonnes, about 4 percent above the previous season and 7 percent above the five-year average, supported by good rainfall across much of the Sahel.

The report indicated that markets are generally well supplied with local cereals and imported rice, which are helping to reduce prices year on year in many countries.

Millet, sorghum, and maize prices in several markets across the region remained stable or declined in March and April 2026 and were significantly below year-earlier levels, on the back of good harvests, carryover stocks, and supportive policies.

However, food insecurity remains widespread during the June to August 2026 lean season, especially in conflict-affected areas of the central Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and northeastern Nigeria.

Also, the conflict in the Middle East is increasing concerns about higher fuel, freight, and fertiliser costs in a region that depends heavily on imported inputs and food.

These pressures could affect the 2026/27 agricultural season by decreasing fertiliser affordability and increasing production costs.

“Access to finance is the major problem being faced by many farmers; when people are being financed, they will be able to farm more,” Kazeem Adeola, farmer and tractor operator based in Kwara State, said, adding that people farm according to their pockets.

According to Adeola, many farmers struggle to get tractors and labour because of the current socioeconomic situation of the country. “We don’t have access to new tractors; the one we have we are managing.”

He added that farmers need to plough, but many cannot afford to pay for tractors or chemicals that are very expensive now. “But when you are able to plough; you get chemicals, what about the labour?”

He added that despite the challenges, many farmers continue to farm because it is a continuous process they have to do every year.

Similarly, pastoral conditions are also worsening in parts of the western and central Sahel because of pasture and water shortages, and insecurity-related movement restrictions.

Sahel conflicts

The Sahel region has long faced severe, complex security and humanitarian crises.

Over the years, violence, conflict, and crime have surged across the region, transcending national borders and posing significant challenges to countries both in and outside the region.

The epicentres of violence and humanitarian disaster are in the Liptako-Gourma and Lake Chad Basin subregions, which border Nigeria’s Northeast region, the area worst hit by insurgency.

According to the Center for Preventive Action, about 51 percent of global-terrorism related deaths occurred in the Sahel in 2024.

Hence, the persistent and growing strength of violent extremist organisations in the Sahel threatens to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and spread instability across Africa, posing severe food insecurity across West and Central Africa.

Development partners

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its 2026 lean season advocacy note for Nigeria indicated that about 35 million people nationwide are expected to face acute food insecurity during the 2026 lean season.

It indicated that Nigeria would be one of the world’s largest hunger crises, with the burden falling overwhelmingly on northern Nigeria.

“Communities across Nigeria are bracing for one of the worst lean seasons on record. Millions of families will be forced to reduce meals, sell productive assets and withdraw children from school.”

It also indicated that the risk of excess mortality from hunger, malnutrition and disease rises sharply between June and August.

“Urgent humanitarian action is needed to address immediate life-saving needs while government and development actors work to address the root causes of the hunger crisis.”

With 34.7 million people projected to face Crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity by mid-2026, including more than 5.4 million acutely malnourished children, Nigeria remains at the epicentre of one of the world’s most severe food emergencies.

Earlier in the year, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) launched its Emergency and Resilience Plan (ERP) 2026-2028 for Nigeria, aimed at safeguarding livelihoods, restoring food production and strengthening resilience in crisis-affected communities.

The three‑year plan requires USD 347 million to support 12.6 million vulnerable people across Nigeria’s northeast, northwest, and north‑central regions.

Aligned with government priorities, the ERP is built on four pillars and combines rapid agricultural assistance with long‑term resilience measures to reduce humanitarian needs, strengthen climate‑resilient livelihoods, and promote peace, stability and inclusive economic growth.

“Agriculture is not only a livelihood; it is a life-saving intervention. When we support farmers, pastoralists, fishers, and agro-processors with timely inputs, services and market access, we protect food production, reduce dependency on food aid, stabilise local markets and create employment, especially for women and youth,” Hussein Gadain, FAO representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, stated at the launch.

As conflict, climate shocks, economic pressures and displacement continue to erode rural livelihoods, particularly in the Northeast, the ERP offers a pathway from crisis response to recovery and resilience.

“The Nigeria ERP is a critical contribution at a pivotal time in the country with the planned reduction of the humanitarian footprint within the context of growing food insecurity,” Dunja Dujanovic, senior emergency and rehabilitation officer, FAO, stated.

According to Dujanovic, the intervention offers solutions which aim to not only address immediate needs but decrease those needs over time.

He added that by investing in agriculture as a frontline humanitarian intervention, FAO aims not only to save lives, but to restore dignity, rebuild local food systems and enable vulnerable communities to shape their own sustainable futures.