UN Warns 34.7 Million Nigerians Could Face Acute Food Insecurity by Mid-2026

UN Warns 34.7 Million Nigerians Could Face Acute Food Insecurity by Mid-2026

An estimated 34.7 million Nigerians could face crisis-level food insecurity or worse during the June to August 2026 lean season, according to the latest Cadre Harmonisé food and nutrition security analysis released in Abuja. The analysis — prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security — covers 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The figure represents a sharp deterioration from the 30.6 million people identified in the February–March 2025 analysis, adding roughly 4.1 million more Nigerians to the acute food insecurity caseload. The report found that 27.2 million people, including internally displaced persons, are already in food crisis, and that over 55 per cent of households are coping by reducing meal quality and quantity, borrowing money, or skipping meals altogether. Read more: FAO Nigeria on the escalating food crisis.

The situation remains most severe in the North-East. The Cadre Harmonisé analysis indicates that an estimated 6.4 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states require immediate life-saving food and livelihood assistance, with more than 1.1 million people in Emergency (CH Phase 4) conditions and populations in parts of Borno State facing Catastrophe (CH Phase 5). Acute malnutrition has reached emergency levels in parts of Borno, Yobe and Katsina states.

In response, FAO launched a three-year Emergency and Resilience Plan for Nigeria between 11 and 16 February 2026 in Abuja and Maiduguri. The plan seeks $347 million to restore food production, protect livelihoods and strengthen resilience for 12.6 million people across conflict-affected states in the North-East, North-West and North-Central zones.

Separately, the World Bank approved a $500 million International Development Association credit in March 2026 for the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW) Project, expected to benefit up to one million smallholder farmers by boosting productivity in rice, maize, cassava and soybean value chains and improving food and nutrition security. Read more: World Bank on the AGROW project.

UNICEF, meanwhile, has continued to scale up its nutrition response for children, with EU-supported programmes maintaining stable pipelines of ready-to-use therapeutic food and achieving cure rates above 90 per cent for severely malnourished children in the North-East and North-West. Read more: UNICEF on lifesaving nutrition response.

The Simon Community Development Initiative is responding through its Full Table programme, which supports families sharing food across Nigeria. SCDI's flagship community food event, the First Full Table, takes place on Tuesday, 24 November 2026 at Ikwo Council Field, Ikwo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, bringing families together for shared meals and food support.