Experts Fear Nigeria's Food Inflation Could Worsen Hunger Crisis

Millions of people in Nigeria are struggling with economic problems analysts say were caused in part by government reform policies introduced earlier this year, writes Timothy Obiezu for VOA.

The United Nations estimates 25 million people in Nigeria or about 15% of the total population are food insecure. Analysts say regional instability, climate change, and inflation are the major triggers of food insecurity in Nigeria. The situation worsened after the government stopped paying subsidies on fuel in May 2023, sharply increasing costs for food, transportation, and energy.

The government has declared a state of emergency on food security and implemented measures like conditional cash transfers and providing support to local farmers. However, experts fear that unless there are significant changes, particularly in curbing food inflation, vulnerable groups will continue to suffer.

This article originally appeared on AllAfrica

Image by Safidy Andriananten/UNICEF