The 2023 global hunger index ranked Nigeria 109 out of 125 countries, indicating serious hunger level, with an estimated 26.5 million Nigerians projected to face acute hunger in 2024.
It has also been recorded that 94% of Nigerians are unable to afford healthy meals, thereby being malnourished.
Speaking on the index rate, the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa, has stated that “a resilient and sustainable food system is the cornerstone for food security and can address hunger and malnutrition in the country.
Musa said, “It is a very serious issue that the hunger index is projecting that there will be serious hunger in the country.
“The government needs to do something; otherwise, we will be facing serious issues.
“The level of insecurity in our various communities is adding to hunger as many farmers are afraid to go to farm and produce food.
“Only a resilient and sustainable food system is the cornerstone of food security and can address hunger and malnutrition in the country, he said.
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It was also noted that “the rate of depreciation in nutritional index is having adverse effect on Human Capital Development as malnutrition negatively impacts business due to working days lost as a result of illness. This has been of great concern as malnutrition and hunger rise in society despite efforts to curtail it.”
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Recalling, statistics from 2021 revealed that a staggering 84% of Nigerians were unable to afford healthy food, a situation that worsened to 90% by the year 2022 and 94% in 2024.
Some months ago, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) sounded an alarm, highlighting the impending crisis of hunger in West and Central Africa, with Nigeria facing particularly dire prospects. WFP projections suggest that the number of hungry people in this region, including Nigeria, could surge to a staggering 49.5 million individuals between the months of June and August 2024.
Adding to this distressing scenario, the latest Global Hunger Index paints a worrying picture for Nigeria, placing it in the 109th position out of 125 countries assessed. This ranking reflects the severity of the food crisis within the country, signaling the urgent need for concerted efforts to alleviate hunger and ensure access to nutritious meals for all Nigerians.