AFRICA/NIGERIA – Northeast Nigeria affected by food insecurity

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Nigerian Red Cross Society

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – According to the International Red Cross, more than 3.3 million people in northeast Nigeria are affected by food insecurity. Most of these people are farmers who suffer from the insecurity in the region, which forces them to abandon their land and thus deprives them of access to their only source of income. The problem also affects fishermen in other parts of the country, as reported by the Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust. Security concerns also prevent pastoralists from using grazing land for their livestock and deny fishermen access to the waters of Lake Chad and major rivers such as the Niger and Taraba. Both sectors are affected by the actions of armed groups and bandits operating in the northern regions of Nigeria.The situation in the northeastern regions, the Red Cross emphasizes, has triggered processes and phenomena affecting vulnerable populations: homelessness, child labor, high school dropout rates, and child marriage. The northwestern regions are also affected by the same problems. And according to the Red Cross, children under five and breastfeeding women are among the most affected population groups.However, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), food insecurity affects people not only in the northern regions, but in all 26 states of the Federation. According to FAO, more than 30 million people are at risk of food insecurity this year during the summer, the pre-harvest period when the country’s agricultural population is most exposed to this risk.Meanwhile, the International Red Cross has taken measures to reduce the consequences of this situation. Since the beginning of 2025, a total of 21,000 families have received seeds that they can grow in both the dry and rainy seasons, as well as agricultural equipment to facilitate agricultural production. The international organization’s support also aims to diversify diets with corn, rice, tomatoes, and okra, as well as repairing water supply systems for cultivation.However, the measures taken by the International Red Cross may not be sufficient to solve the problem of food insecurity. This is the result of fundamental problems, starting with the presence of violent groups. Added to this are the effects of climate change, which also leads to internal migration.In Nigeria, climate change is causing droughts in the northwest and floods in the east. These two regions provide the main agricultural products for the entire country. When production declines, the southern regions, with their high population density, are particularly affected.Nigeria has a growing population and is one of the most populous countries in the world. The civil unrest caused by food insecurity could have far-reaching and unforeseeable consequences. (CG) (Agenzia Fides, 11/8/2025)
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