The Food and Agriculture Organization, an organ of the United Nations has warned that by 2030 about 80 to 82 million Nigerians may slip into severe hunger in the country amid food insecurity.
The grim revelation was made by the humanitarian Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, represented by, Taofiq Braimoh at a recent launch of CropWatch in Abuja.
According to him, approximately 22 million Nigerians face food insecurity in 2023, citing a recent survey.
“The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducts an annual food security survey.
This year’s results are alarming: approximately 22 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2023, and around 80-82 million are at risk of severe food insecurity by 2030,” he said.
The UN warning comes as Nigeria’s food inflation rose to 40.66 percent in May 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The report showed that staple foods, rice, beans, garlic, yam and others rose by at least 130 percent.
This surge represents the largest year-on-year increase in food prices since records began in for more 27 years according to the Latin NBS report.
The development has further worsened the poverty index and access to food by millions of Nigerians who are grappling with the present economic crunch.
