Despite the Right to Food Act of 2023, forcing the Nigerian government to ensure food security, millions are hungry and malnourished, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Insecurity, economic downturn, poor policy implementation, and climate shocks have led to an abrupt increase in food insecurity and child malnutrition. 11 Million Nigerians in Acute Food Crisis
According to the latest World Food Programme (WFP) Nigeria Situation Report, 11 million people in six northeast and northwestern states of acute food insecurity live in 2025. It is sustained by persistent conflict, elevated levels of food and fuel prices, and climate shocks preventing millions from access to core nutrition.
A UNICEF report also emphasizes that one in three Nigerian children under the age of five around 11 million are living in severe food poverty, which renders them 50% more vulnerable to life-threatening wasting.
Malnutrition Cases Surge Overwhelming Healthcare Facilities
Over 300,000 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 2024 alone, a 25% increase from 2023. 75,000 of them required life-saving inpatient care, and 250,000 were admitted through outpatient services in Borno, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states.
MSF country representative Dr Simba Tirima described the situation as worsening, with treatment facilities reporting record-breaking admissions.”.
“Malnutrition is worsening, with more admissions than in earlier years in every region,” he said.
MSF has pre-positioned stocks of therapeutic food ahead of peak malnutrition season, but other humanitarian agencies are weakened by lack of funding shortages.
Right to Food Act: Strong on Paper, Weak in Enforcement
The Right to Food Act, enacted into law in March 2023, recognizes food as a human right and requires the government to ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability. Experts note, however, that poor enforcement and lack of knowledge have undone its success.
Dr Michael Terungwa David, executive director at the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), emphasized:
“Food is not a privilege; it is a basic human right. But still, millions continue to battle hunger and malnutrition.”
He added that insecurity has disrupted agriculture, with 40% of Benue State’s arable land lying fallow due to conflict.
Nigeria’s Food Deficit: A Crisis in Distribution, Not Just Production
Despite the fact that Nigeria harvested 203 million metric tonnes of food in 2021, it still suffers from hunger due to ineffective distribution and storage policies. Nigeria needs 575,000 metric tonnes of food daily to feed its 230 million citizens, Dr David explains.
Professor G.B. Ayoola, chairman of Voices for Food Security (VFS), insists that government accountability is necessary. The Right to Food Act makes it legally obligatory for the government to:
- Respect the right to food by ensuring that policies do not obstruct access.
- Protect citizens from harmful practices by state and non-state actors.
- Provide this right by extending direct assistance to vulnerable groups.
But non-compliance with these responsibilities has not triggered any legal consequences so far.
Millions with Food Shortages in 2025
The Cadre Harmonisé (CH) of February–March 2025 predicted that from June to August 2025, 30.6 million Nigerians across 26 states and the FCT would face food shortages.
- 5.4 million under-fives and 787,000 pregnant/breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished, up by 23% compared to previous years.
- 3.7 million children in the northeast are battling stunting, wasting, and anaemia.
- Yobe, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina have reached Phase Four (Emergency Level) of acute malnutrition.
UNICEF Calls for Urgent Policy Action
UNICEF has urged drastic policy action, including:
- Establishing robust food systems to make healthier foods more accessible and affordable.
- Scaling up nutrition services for prevention of and response to malnutrition in early childhood.
- Stregthening social protection systems, such as cash transfers and food aid.
The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), launched by UNICEF, focuses on the prevention, detection, and treatment of child malnutrition. Governments, donors, and development partners must provide additional funding.
Government’s Response: More Investment in Nutrition Needed
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has initiated nutrition intervention policies but concedes that budgetary allocation to nutrition needs to be increased.
Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, head of the nutrition department, emphasized that investment in nutrition would be capable of:
- Preventing 10 million cases of childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia annually.
- Saving an estimated 220,000 child deaths annually.
- Preserve $22 million in health costs because of child malnutrition.
She called on parliamentarians to appropriate additional money to nutrition, publish the budget in good time, and discuss nutrition status every year in their constituencies.
A Looming Humanitarian Disaster Without Urgent Action
Nigeria features among the list of the 20 countries most afflicted with the greatest burden of severe child food poverty. Analysts have expressed fear that without prompt interventions, rates of malnutrition may touch all-time high figures, henceforth resulting in increased child death rates and a complete humanitarian catastrophe.
While the Right to Food Act was a real policy breakthrough, its impact remains limited due to poor implementation and lack of government accountability. Unless real action is taken, millions of Nigerians especially children will go on suffering from hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outlined an ambitious economic agenda aimed at reducing Nigeria's inflation rate from the current 34.6% Read more
Over the past 14 years as the Founder of TEXEM, UK, and previously as a Director of Strategy in Cambridge, Read more
The Nigerian equities market demonstrated exceptional resilience in 2024, achieving a remarkable gain of N21.845 trillion despite economic headwinds such Read more
The year 2024 marked a significant milestone for Nigeria as it celebrated 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule. The electoral Read more
Olawale Moses Oyewole is an adept writer who stays on top of current events and curate informative and engaging articles for his readers. He is a digital strategist who help brands gain online visibility.
1 Comment
Boğazköy su kaçak tespiti Sultanbeyli’de su kaçağı tespitini cihazlarla hızlıca yaptılar, çok başarılı bir ekip. https://harbornaz.org/author/kacak/