Over 35 Million at Risk of Severe Food Crisis in Northern Nigeria: WFP Warning

According to WFP, this represents the highest forecast of food insecurity in Nigeria’s history. Borno state is the most vulnerable, where ongoing armed insurgency and attacks could expose at least 15,000 people to “severe famine or famine-like conditions.”

Malnutrition rates have sharply increased in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara. Over six million people in the agricultural regions of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe lack access to minimal food supplies.

David Stevenson, WFP’s country director in Nigeria, said, “Rising violence is not only threatening stability, it is creating a major crisis for regional security. Rural communities are struggling to survive amid repeated attacks and economic pressures.”

Alongside Boko Haram’s long-running violence, organized armed gangs in central and northwestern Nigeria have increased their activities, including village seizures, killings, looting, and kidnappings for ransom.

In the past week, three major abductions occurred in Nigeria: 303 children and 12 teachers were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, 25 Muslim female students were abducted in neighboring Kebbi State, and 38 churchgoers were taken during an online religious event in a church in Kwara State.

Due to financial constraints, WFP had to reduce its nutrition assistance program in July 2025, directly affecting over 300,000 children, with malnutrition rates escalating from “serious” to “critical.”

The United States, the WFP’s largest donor, reduced humanitarian aid under the Donald Trump administration, raising concerns that emergency food program funding may face shortages by December. Experts warn that if the current situation persists, the food crisis in northern Nigeria could trigger a continent-wide humanitarian disaster.