Former Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has voiced serious alarm over the escalating hunger crisis in northern Nigeria, calling it a preventable national failure rooted in poor leadership and insecurity.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, titled “UN’s Warning on Northern Nigeria’s Food Crisis,” Obi reacted to a recent World Food Programme (WFP) report highlighting the severity of the situation.
He noted that northern Nigeria, traditionally the country's food basket, is now facing its worst hunger crisis in nearly a decade.
According to the UN warning, more than 17 million people across nine northern states are experiencing crisis-level hunger, while over 35 million Nigerians nationwide face acute food insecurity risks during the current lean season.
Particularly alarming is the situation in Borno State, where over 10,000 residents have entered “catastrophic” hunger conditions.
“I am deeply troubled by the latest report from the UN’s World Food Programme,” Obi stated.
“The fact that over 10,000 residents of Borno State have entered ‘catastrophic’ hunger conditions represents not only immense human suffering but also a profound national failure.”
Obi emphasized that Nigeria has no business ranking among the world’s hungriest nations, given its vast resources and large areas of fertile, uncultivated land in the North.
He attributed the crisis largely to insecurity including banditry and insurgency which has displaced farmers, restricted access to farmlands, and turned agricultural communities into zones of displacement.
The Labour Party leader urged the federal and state governments to take urgent action by prioritizing the security of agricultural areas, providing better support to smallholder farmers, and collaborating more effectively with international partners like the World Food Programme to close funding gaps.
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