The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, has said over four million people in Nigeria’s North-East region are expected to be in dire need of food in the coming season.
Speaking at an advocacy event on food security and nutrition in North-East Nigeria held in Abuja, Schmale said up to $351 million was needed to provide humanitarian support and avert the expected food crisis in the region. He also noted that a total of 8.4 million Nigerians would need humanitarian support in the North-East, with 4.1 million people in the region already facing severe food insecurity.
“Across North-East Nigeria today, 8.4 million people need humanitarian assistance. Alarmingly, almost half of these crisis-affected people, 4.1 million are expected to face the severe pain of food insecurity in the approaching lean season, In 2021, the gap between people in need and people supported by food and nutrition assistance was 1.8 million. Due to reduced funding, that number is projected to dramatically increase to 2.9 million this lean season” He said
Mr Matthias Schmale also revealed that he heard stories from last year’s lean season of people in the North-East part of Nigeria eating grass to stay alive and therefore he fair the recurrence of this tragedy if there is a failure to act quickly.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Nadia Soso, said food security and nutrition of the affected people in the northern region remains a priority for the government. “It paints a concerning picture of the great force they are up against. Imagine not only having to worry for your safety but also struggling each day to find food and adequate nutrition. “For people across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe state, every day is a challenge and in which without quick action, no relief is in sight. Funding is urgently needed to ensure critical food and relief assistance as the gap between people in need and available resources will grow more severe,” Soso said
Meanwhile, the price of a 50kg bag of urea fertiliser has increased by 183 per cent to an average of N17,000( 306 ghs) from N6,000 (108 Ghs) in 2021.
Similarly, the average price of a 50kg bag of NPK fertiliser, mostly used by Nigerian smallholder farmers, has surged by 112.5 per cent to N17,000 (306 Ghs) from N8,000 (144 Ghs)in 2021.
