Despite the passage of the Right to Food Act in 2023, which mandates the government to ensure food security, millions of Nigerians face hunger and malnutrition. The situation is particularly dire in Northern Nigeria, where food insecurity is exacerbated by insecurity, poor policy implementation, and economic challenges, with reports of a dramatic increase in the […]
Despite the 2023 Right to Food Act, 11 million Nigerian children face severe food poverty, particularly in Northern Nigeria, exacerbated by insecurity, poor policy implementation, and economic challenges. A WFP report projects acute food insecurity for 11 million people across six states in 2025, citing insecurity, high prices, climate shocks, and displacement. UNICEF reports that one in three Nigerian children under five suffer from severe food poverty, increasing their risk of life-threatening conditions. MSF treated over 300,000 malnourished children in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023, due to rising food prices, insecurity, and climate shocks. While the Right to Food Act mandates food security, its enforcement is weak, and insecurity hinders food production. Nigeria produced 203 million metric tonnes of food in 2021, but faces distribution and storage issues.
