Over 3.3 million people in northeast Nigeria are facing severe food insecurity, according to the International Red Cross. Most are farmers forced to abandon their land due to ongoing violence, cutting off their main source of income. Fishermen and pastoralists are also being impacted, unable to access key water bodies and grazing lands because of insecurity caused by armed groups.
The crisis is triggering wider social issues, homelessness, child labor, high dropout rates, and early marriages with children under five and breastfeeding mothers among the most affected.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that over 30 million Nigerians nationwide are at risk of food insecurity this year, particularly during the pre-harvest period. The Red Cross has distributed seeds, farming tools, and repaired water systems for 21,000 families, aiming to boost local food production.
However, insecurity, climate change, and population pressures threaten to worsen the crisis. Drought in the northwest and flooding in the east, Nigeria’s agricultural heartlands are reducing food supply, potentially fueling unrest in densely populated southern regions.
Without urgent, coordinated action, experts warn the humanitarian impact could be far-reaching and destabilizing.
