Cindy McCain, the executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has called for a private and public sector collaboration to tackle the root causes of hunger and build peace, amidst rising food insecurity and malnutrition in Nigeria.
“People there desperately need peace and stability, so farming and food production can restart and this hunger crisis can be halted in its tracks,” McCain stated during her recent five-day visit to Nigeria.
She stated that despite Nigeria’s huge agricultural potential, the country is currently in the grips of a widespread humanitarian crisis driven by poverty, recurring conflicts, and climate shocks – with 32 million people struggling to feed themselves.
McCain, who witnessed first-hand how conflict, climate shocks, and high food and fuel prices are driving millions into acute hunger and malnutrition, stated that “What I have seen and heard during my visit to Damasak, in Borno State, is deeply disturbing.”
Read also: Nigeria must boost investments in agric to tackle hunger – Oxfam, WFP
According to her, an urgent humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Nigeria, as the number of children with acute malnutrition soars and the ongoing conflict prevents millions from returning to their homes and lands.
Currently, the WFP is working with the government of Nigeria and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on a ground-breaking food systems programme that will help communities escape the cycle of conflict by building the resilient, inclusive and effective food systems they need to achieve self-reliance.
Through the ‘Out of Conflict, into Solutions’ food systems strategy, WFP will seek to address post-harvest losses, limited access to agricultural inputs, poor dietary diversity and limited access to food in Nigeria.
“WFP’s commitment to delivering lifesaving assistance and tackling the root causes of hunger in Nigeria is stronger than ever. By mobilising funding, technology, and ambitious new partnerships between the private and public sectors, we can support rural livelihoods, strengthen food systems and offer sustainable solutions to food insecurity that empower local communities,” McCain stated.
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