35m Nigerians face acute hunger risk as lean season looms

As Nigeria braces for its annual lean season, a stark warning from the United Nations has raised alarm that up to 35 million people could slip into acute hunger between June and August unless urgent intervention is taken to stabilize food supply, tame inflation, and protect already strained households.

Nigeria is heading into a critical food insecurity window, with the United Nations warning that about 35 million people could face acute hunger between June and August 2026 if urgent action is not taken to stabilize food access and protect vulnerable households. The projection, based on a recent food security assessment, signals a deepening humanitarian strain driven by rising inflation, persistent insecurity, climate shocks, and escalating food prices that continue to erode the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians.

The warning places the country at heightened risk during the annual lean season, a period when household food stocks are typically exhausted and markets become the primary source of sustenance at significantly higher costs. The situation is expected to be most severe in rural communities, conflict-affected regions in the North-East and North-West, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and low-income urban settlements where economic pressure is already intense.

The United Nations, working in collaboration with the United Nations and the World Food Programme, attributed the worsening outlook to multiple overlapping challenges. These include continued insecurity that has disrupted farming activities, reduced access to farmlands, and displaced farming communities, thereby weakening domestic food production at a critical time.

In addition, climate-related disruptions such as flooding in some agricultural belts and erratic rainfall patterns have further reduced yields, compounding supply shortages. At the same time, high transportation costs and inflation have significantly increased the price of staple foods across major markets, pushing millions of households closer to crisis-level food consumption patterns.

The report noted that Nigeria’s economic conditions have left many families with limited coping mechanisms, as a growing share of household income is now spent on food alone. For the poorest segments of society, even basic diets are becoming increasingly unaffordable, raising concerns over worsening malnutrition rates, particularly among children under five and pregnant women.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that without immediate and scaled-up intervention, the country could witness a sharp rise in severe acute malnutrition during the June-to-August peak. They also cautioned that food scarcity could trigger secondary crises, including increased displacement and heightened pressure on already overstretched aid systems.

The UN has therefore called for urgent, coordinated measures from both the Nigerian government and international partners. These include expanded emergency food assistance, improved security in farming regions, and targeted support for smallholder farmers ahead of the next planting cycle to boost local production and stabilize supply.

As the lean season approaches, stakeholders are urging swift policy responses to prevent what could become one of Nigeria’s most severe food crises in recent years, with millions of lives hanging in the balance if the projected hunger risk materializes.

kenneth Athekame

Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.