Korede Abdullah 
Dr. Israel Ojo
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s hunger crisis will continue to worsen unless the Federal Government treats agriculture as a national priority by investing in modern farming, strengthening security in rural communities and implementing consistent agricultural policies, food and nutrition experts have warned.
The call follows the release of the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UNICEF, World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO), which paints a troubling picture of worsening food insecurity across Africa.
According to the report, an estimated 309 million Africans experienced hunger in 2025, while 66.6 per cent of the continent’s population could not afford a healthy diet. It also projects that by 2030, nearly 60 per cent of the world’s chronically undernourished people could be living in Africa if current trends continue.
Despite possessing an estimated 34–37 million hectares of arable land, Nigeria continues to record relatively low agricultural productivity compared with countries that have consistently invested in irrigation, mechanisation, research and modern farming technologies.
Speaking with Africa Health Report, nutrition and public health expert Ademola Akinsola said the findings should serve as an urgent wake-up call for policymakers.
“Healthy diets are not luxuries. They are essential for growth, immunity, learning, productivity and disease prevention. This is no longer just an agricultural issue; it is a public health emergency,” Akinsola said.
Agricultural economist and lecturer at Ekiti State University, Dr Israel Ojo, argued that Nigeria’s food crisis is driven more by poor productivity than by a shortage of farmland.
“The discussion should move beyond how much land Nigeria has to how efficiently that land is being utilised. The problem is not landing scarcity but low productivity per hectare,” Ojo said.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Oluwafunbi Bello 