The United Nations has warned that 82 million Nigerians, which is about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, and called on the government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity as well as food security.
The Humanitarian Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, an arm of the UN, represented by, Taofiq Braimoh disclosed this at a recent launch of CropWatch in Abuja.
This prediction comes in the wake of a persistent hike in food prices across the country.
According to Braimoh, ‘The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducts an annual food security survey”.
“Nigeria, like many countries, grapples with food insecurity, climate change, unreliable water patterns, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity”.
“This year’s results are alarming: approximately 22 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2023, and around 80-82 million are at risk of severe food insecurity by 2030”, he said.
The alarming report comes as Nigeria’s food inflation rose to 40.66% in May 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report showed that staple foods, rice, beans, garlic, yam and others rose by at least 130%.
