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16 States to face acute food shortage in Nigeria

Global Food Agencies have warned against impending food shortage that could affect 3.8 million people in 16 northern states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The agencies, which included UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), listed the 16 states as Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Jigawa, Plateau, Niger, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kano, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa.

The agencies issued the warning yesterday in Abuja at a stakeholders meeting for the presentation of the results of the March 2018 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis of food and security situation in Nigeria.

The CH report said that judging from the current situation in the 16 states and FCT, more than 3.8 million people might face acute food shortage if tangible efforts were not made to address the situation between June and August, the next lean period.

“More than 10 million people were analysed and over 3.8 million people need urgent attention of food, while it was projected that 5.8 million people would face extreme food and nutrition deficits. “Most of the analysed households have food stocks that may last only few months before the lean period of June to March and they need urgent attention for the situation not to get out of hand,’’ it said.

The report said that the analysis was based on four conceptual frameworks, which included food security, nutrition, livelihoods and mortalities. It noted that the results of the analysis indicated that three local government areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, including Michika and Madagali LGAs, and another three LGAs in Borno were currently experiencing severe food crisis.

Telegraph