Attachments
Highlights
• 11 million people in six northeast-northwest states are facing acute food insecurity this year. Key drivers include insecurity, soaring food prices, high fuel prices, climate crisis, and recurring displacement.
• In 2025, the Food Security Sector is prioritizing 5.1 million people to enable them to meet their food needs, diversify agricultural food production, and strengthen preparedness and anticipatory actions.
• Using available resources, WFP is reaching only 14 percent of those in need, meeting urgent food needs and providing durable solutions to address root causes of food insecurity.
SITUATION UPDATE
Food insecurity remains precarious. Widespread insecurity across the northeast and northwest Nigeria persisted into the start of 2025 with the northwest identified as a forgotten humanitarian crisis. Recent escalations in the activities of non-state armed groups leave many households unable to return home and rebuild their lives.
Food insecurity challenge is heightened by the 2024 floods that displaced many and their left assets, including agricultural livelihoods damaged. Inflation rates sharply declined to 24.48 percent in January 2025 from 34.80 per cent compared the previous month, the first drop in four years. Despite these, the cost of food, transportation, and logistics remain very high due to the lingering effects of fuel subsidy removal.
Malnutrition crisis across northern Nigeria is escalating with 5.4 million children aged 0-59 months and 787,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls suffering and projected to suffer acute malnutrition, a steep 23 percent increase in number of children acutely malnourished. Further burdens on malnutrition are projected due to insecurity, widespread displacements, climate crises and economic drivers.
Using available resources, WFP is reaching 14 percent of those in need with food assistance to meet immediate needs and agricultural and livelihoods strengthening to build resilient communities.