The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded a stark alarm over escalating hunger in northern Nigeria, linking a surge in militant violence to what it describes as the worst food insecurity the region has faced in years.
In a statement released Tuesday, the agency projected that close to 35 million people across northern states could experience acute food shortages during the 2026 lean season — the difficult months between May and September when food reserves run low and households typically struggle to feed themselves.
The situation is most dire in Borno State, long the centre of Nigeria’s 16-year conflict with Boko Haram and its offshoots. According to WFP, at least 15,000 people in the region are expected to slip into “catastrophic hunger,” a classification used only in near-famine conditions.
The long-running conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, left nearly two million displaced, and spilled into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. But insecurity has widened beyond the northeast: armed groups locally dubbed “bandits” now terrorise communities in the northwest and central states, burning villages, carrying out mass abductions, and overwhelming local security forces.
Just last week, Nigeria experienced three major mass kidnappings within days. More than 300 students and staff were seized from a Catholic school in Niger State, 25 girls were kidnapped from a secondary school in Kebbi, and 38 church members were taken during a live-streamed service in Kwara. The incidents highlight the scale of lawlessness feeding humanitarian distress.
Although Nigeria’s jihadist insurgency is not at its 2015 peak, the UN notes that an uptick in attacks this year — driven by evolving militant alliances, frail local governance, and overstretched military units — has left communities increasingly vulnerable.
Economic Pressures Deepen Hunger
Traditionally, farmers bridge the lean season by purchasing staple foods. But with Nigeria battling soaring inflation, driven in part by economic reforms under President Bola Tinubu, many households can no longer afford even basic items.
The economic downturn is occurring alongside a reduction in global aid flows. The WFP, whose single largest donor is the United States, has suffered major funding cuts. Other donors, particularly in Europe, are also scaling back contributions amid global crises.
As a result, the UN agency says it has been forced to downsize its operations in Nigeria. Nearly one million people in the northeast depend on WFP support, yet the organisation was compelled to begin cutting nutrition programmes in July due to budget constraints. Of its 500 nutrition centres in the region, 150 shut down at the end of July, leaving over 300,000 children more vulnerable to severe malnutrition. Rates of undernutrition have since deteriorated from “serious” to “critical.”
New Militant Threats Emerge
Adding to concerns, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for its first-ever attack on Nigerian soil last month — an indication that the landscape of militancy is growing more complex.
“Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s country representative. “Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising.”
A Worsening Humanitarian Outlook
With conflict intensifying, inflation climbing, and aid resources dwindling, the UN warns that millions across northern Nigeria may soon face levels of hunger not seen in decades — unless urgent intervention is deployed.
Humanitarian agencies say the coming months will be critical in determining whether vulnerable communities can be shielded from the full impact of the crisis.
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