Despite the existence of multiple government-led social welfare schemes, Nigeria’s hunger crisis has continued to worsen. In 2024 alone, an additional 6.9 million Nigerians fell into acute food insecurity, bringing the total to 31.8 million. This surge cannot be explained by economic decline alone—it reflects a breakdown in Nigeria’s food supply system, exacerbated by insecurity, poor infrastructure, and the ongoing neglect of rural development.
While the government has rolled out numerous poverty alleviation initiatives, they remain disconnected from the realities of food production and distribution. Poverty and hunger are inseparable, and any effort to combat one without addressing the other is bound to fail. Without rural security and food system reform, poverty reduction becomes an illusion.
Nigeria’s smallholder farmers face multiple threats
Roughly 90% of Nigeria’s food production depends on smallholder farmers. Ironically, these same farmers are among the country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. About 75% of rural Nigerians live below the poverty line, caught in a loop of low agricultural yields, unpredictable climate conditions, weak market access, and escalating violence.
Insecurity in rural areas has reached crisis levels. Regions once considered Nigeria’s agricultural strongholds, such as Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Niger, have become hotspots for brutal attacks. In Benue alone, over 200 people were killed this month during coordinated assaults on farming communities. Between 2020 and 2024, more than 1,350 farmers in northern Nigeria were murdered, with thousands more displaced. The violence not only pushes farmers off their land but also deters investment in rural agriculture, stalling innovation and progress toward food independence.
Adding to the chaos, armed groups now extort farming communities. In Zamfara and Katsina states, for example, farmers have reportedly paid over ₦139 million in “protection money” just to access their fields. This extortion has turned agriculture into a dangerous and costly endeavor, discouraging farming activity and shrinking the country’s domestic food supply.
Environmental pressures compound insecurity
In addition to violence, farmers are grappling with increasing climate disruptions. Floods and droughts are now common in northern Nigeria. In one year alone, over 180,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed by flooding, displacing entire communities and wiping out crops. Without climate-resilient infrastructure, insurance, or adequate support, farmers are left vulnerable year after year, with little hope of recovery.
Transport and storage gaps cripple food access
Even when crops are successfully harvested, Nigeria’s underdeveloped transport and storage systems prevent food from reaching consumers. Most rural roads are unpaved and nearly impassable, especially during the rainy season. Armed groups further threaten the safety of food transport, regularly attacking delivery vehicles or blocking key routes.
Storage remains another critical failure. Nigeria grows roughly 55 million metric tonnes of food each year, but around 40% goes to waste due to poor logistics, insufficient cold chain systems, and lack of storage near farms. Farmers often sell their harvest at low prices to avoid losses, while consumers pay high prices due to limited supply in urban markets. The result is a paradox of abundance turning into scarcity.
Food inflation worsens hunger nationwide
Because of these logistical failures, food inflation in Nigeria has soared to become one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Basic staples such as rice, tomatoes, onions, and yams have become unaffordable for millions of Nigerians. This inflation further deepens poverty and limits families’ ability to purchase the food they need to survive.
Social welfare without food access offers limited results
Over the years, the federal government has spent billions on programmes like the National Social Investment Programme, Conditional Cash Transfers, and the Renewed Hope Initiative. These programmes provide temporary relief, but they cannot succeed in isolation. If food is unavailable or unaffordable, financial assistance alone cannot solve hunger.
Cash transfers may increase purchasing power, but that power is meaningless if market shelves are empty or food prices remain out of reach. In many urban markets, imported goods dominate shelves, often sold at unaffordable rates. Without a functional domestic food system, social welfare efforts fail to reach their intended impact.
Food insecurity is a policy failure, not a natural fate
Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis is not the result of misfortune but the outcome of poor policy alignment. The country has enough land, labour, and talent to feed itself. What is missing is a strategic focus on building a robust and secure food system.
To truly fight poverty, Nigeria must put food supply at the core of its development policy. That starts with strengthening the agricultural ecosystem—from production to distribution—and making it resilient against insecurity and climate shocks.
Securing farmers and fixing infrastructure must come first
The government must prioritize rural security. This includes disarming non-state actors and deploying security personnel who work closely with local communities. In parallel, key infrastructure such as farm roads must be repaired, and secure transportation routes must be established. Cold storage hubs should be installed near farm clusters to reduce post-harvest losses.
Moreover, government agencies must collaborate with the private sector to create public-private partnerships for rural logistics, farming equipment, and modern technology. These efforts must be backed by consistent budget allocations, accountability mechanisms, and real-time monitoring systems.
Link social interventions to food accessibility
Policymakers must restructure poverty alleviation programmes to reflect Nigeria’s agricultural realities. Instead of standalone cash transfers, interventions should be linked to food vouchers, school feeding programmes, subsidized farm produce, or nutrition-based incentives.
Farmer cooperatives should be strengthened, and access to affordable credit, crop insurance, and modern tools must be prioritized. These changes will empower farmers, increase food output, and stabilize prices across the country.
Treat rural security as an economic emergency
Most importantly, Nigeria must begin treating rural insecurity as an economic emergency. As long as farmers live in fear, agricultural output will remain depressed. The military and police must receive the tools and funding they need to protect vulnerable communities and dismantle armed networks threatening the food chain.
A nation cannot thrive while its farmers are being extorted, displaced, or murdered. Food cannot grow in fear, and economic growth cannot happen without a secure agricultural base.
Conclusion: Fix the food system to fix poverty
Hunger in Nigeria is not inevitable. It is a solvable crisis rooted in policy failure, weak governance, and lack of investment in the right systems. For Nigeria to end poverty, it must begin with food security. That means protecting farmers, fixing roads, investing in storage, linking social programmes to food access, and treating agriculture as the backbone of national development.
Without this integrated approach, no poverty alleviation programme—no matter how well-funded—will succeed. Hunger is the frontline of poverty, and Nigeria’s battle against both must start from the farm.
