Food Crisis Looms in Northern Nigeria as World Bank Warns of Insecurity and Inflation

The World Bank has issued a warning that seven states in northern Nigeria are facing a high risk of food insecurity in 2024, due to the ongoing insecurity and armed conflicts in the region.

The states affected are Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, which are located in the northeast and northwest zones of the country.

The World Bank’s latest food security report projected that most areas in West and Central Africa would have minimal or moderate food insecurity (IPC Phase 1 or 2) until May 2024, but Nigeria’s northern states would suffer from crisis or emergency food insecurity levels (IPC Phase 3 or 4), mainly because of the worsening security situation and the decline of livelihoods.

The report also noted that some areas in the northeastern states, such as Abadam, Bama, Guzamala, Marte and others, would experience severe food shortages and limited access to markets and humanitarian assistance, as a result of the insurgency and violence perpetrated by Boko Haram and other armed groups.

The World Bank further stated that over 63.2% of low-income countries witnessed inflation rates above 5%, which was a 1.3%-point increase from the previous food update on January 17, 2023.

Nigeria has been grappling with a food crisis that has driven up the prices of food items in the market, due to the inability of farmers to cultivate their lands in the north, as a result of the rampant banditry and kidnapping that have plagued the region.