A deepening humanitarian crisis is pushing millions of Nigerians to the edge. Nearly 31 million people are now classified as acutely food insecure equivalent to the entire population of Texas according to the United Nations.
To compound the crisis, more than 1.3 million Nigerians risk losing access to food and nutrition assistance by August 2025, as international aid funding dries up. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), it has received just 21 percent of the US$130 million required to sustain operations in Nigeria through the end of the year.
Without urgent funding, the agency warns that 150 nutrition clinics in Borno and Yobe States could shut down, putting the lives of over 300,000 children under the age of two at risk. An additional 700,000 displaced persons also stand to lose critical food support.
“WFP’s operations in northeast Nigeria will collapse without immediate, sustained funding. This is no longer just a humanitarian crisis. It’s a growing threat to regional stability,” — Margot van der Velden, WFP Regional Director for West Africa
A separate report by the Associated Press confirmed the same figures, highlighting the devastating impact of the planned shutdown on food access and emergency nutrition treatment for vulnerable families.
At Nyanya in Abuja, vendors and residents told Fairview Africa that although food is available, collapsing purchasing power has made it almost impossible for many households to buy anything beyond basic staples.
Amaka, a food seller, explained:
“It’s only rice, corn, and beans that are somehow affordable. Other things are too expensive. We’re pleading with farmers to bring down prices. Some people are hoarding food, hoping prices will rise. By God’s grace, rice and beans have come down a bit you can buy them for ₦1,500 or ₦1,600 now but yam is still too costly. We can’t afford yam at all.”
Another trader said:
“Before, if I carried ₦70,000 to the market, I could buy a full carton of goods and still make a small profit. Now, even with ₦100,000, I can’t fill a carton. The biggest problem now is oil. If you don’t have ₦2,000, forget it.”
A resident, visibly frustrated, added:
“The prices of some foods are dropping slightly, but we have no money to buy them. We are just surviving by God’s grace. A poor person can’t eat three times a day anymore.”
Another man shared:
“If I get food, I eat. If not, I sleep. There was a time you could manage breakfast with ₦200 or ₦500. These days, even ₦1,000 can’t cover a meal. If I have a little money, I eat in the morning, sleep through the afternoon, and just drink water at night. Things are really hard.”
These testimonies show that even where prices have dropped slightly, food remains out of reach for many. Price drop mean little when there’s no money in people’s hands.
The WFP has again raised alarm over the looming collapse of its operations in Nigeria’s northeast due to a deepening funding crisis.
“We will face the heartbreaking reality of having to suspend humanitarian aid for populations devastated by conflict,”
— Margot van der Velden, WFP Regional Director for West Africa
More than 150 nutrition centres in Borno and Yobe are at risk of closure. These facilities support over 300,000 children under two and 700,000 displaced people, many already at high risk of malnutrition and disease.
The WFP says its coverage has already declined by 60 percent, and only 21 percent of the US$130 million needed for 2025 has been secured.
Nigeria’s food emergency is not caused by a single event. It’s the result of multiple, overlapping pressures that continue to reinforce one another:
Conflict and Displacement
Over 2.3 million people have been displaced by armed conflict in the northeast, according to the United Nations. Many have lost their farms, income, and access to markets.
Climate Shocks
According to AP News, erratic rainfall and prolonged drought, particularly in Sokoto and surrounding areas have devastated farmlands. Rivers are drying up, and harvests are failing.
Currency Depreciation and Inflation
The Naira’s collapse, surging transport costs, and rising global prices have pushed staples out of reach. Even when food is available, most households can’t afford it.
Shrinking Humanitarian Funding
According to WFP/AP News, donor support from the US, UK, and EU has sharply declined. As of July 2025, only 21 percent of required funding for WFP Nigeria operations had been received.
In Katsina State, the impact is already deadly. According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), 652 children under five died of malnutrition between January and June 2025 a 208 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
“We are currently witnessing massive budget cuts, particularly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which are having real impact on the treatment of malnourished children,” says — Ahmed Aldikhari, MSF Country Representative
MSF treated nearly 70,000 children in Katsina in the first half of 2025, of these, almost 10,000 were hospitalised in critical condition. The organisation also screened caregivers and found that more than half were acutely malnourished, with 13 percent severely so.
Food may be available but the real emergency is access. Millions are trapped in a vicious cycle: rising costs, falling incomes, and collapsing aid systems.
Nigeria’s hunger crisis is no longer just about food. It is about survival, dignity, and the fundamental right to live without fear of starvation.
