9th February, 2024
By Paul Dada
The World Bank has listed seven Nigerian states that risk having severe food crisis because high levels of insecurity and armed conflicts.
The listed states are Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
The World bank which said this in its latest Food Security report also maintained that most areas in West and Central Africa would remain minimally food insecure until May 2024.
The report said: “It is projected that most areas in West and Central Africa will remain minimally food insecure until May 2024, with some being categorised as Stressed IPC 2. Nigeria (far north of Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara states) will be at crisis food security levels, mostly because of persistent insecurity and armed conflict and deteriorating livelihoods.”
It also said African countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger would experience different levels of food insecurity.
Already, there have been outcries and protests in Nigeria over the current food crisis. But the Federal Government has moved in to combat the crisis.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Thursday, announced President Bola Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release about 42,000 metric tonnes of grain including maize, millet and garri. The Rice Millers Association of Nigeria also committed to immediately release over 60,000 metric tonnes of rice to the public.
According to Idris, they were immediate measures taken by the FG to ameliorate the hardships faced faced by Nigerian over the high prices of food in the market.
“These will be made available and we know that that is enough to take Nigeria in the next couple of weeks. One month, six weeks, perhaps up to two months.
“Now the whole idea of this is to crush the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.
“Now, the third item is that government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes absolutely necessary and as an interim measure, to also import some of these commodities immediately so that these commodities can be made available to Nigerians,” he said.
He also said Government was appealing to those hoarding food items to make them available.
He said: “Government of course is also looking at all those who are hoarding these commodities, because actually, these commodities are available in the stores of many traders.
“Government is appealing to them that they should open up these doors and make these commodities available in the interest of our nation.
“There is no point when the whole country is looking for this food you are locking up these products where you make more money and then Nigerians suffer. Of course, government will not fold its arms.
“If they don’t respond by bringing these commodities to the market, government will take appropriate measures to ensure that these products are made available to Nigerians.”