UN Warns 35 Million Nigerians Face Acute Hunger During Lean Season

The United Nations has issued a stark warning that approximately 35 million Nigerians – nearly one in seven people – face acute food insecurity during the June-to-August lean season, making Nigeria one of the world’s largest hunger crises.

According to the UN’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Nigeria, 5.8 million of those at risk are in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, where a 16-year conflict has compounded the impact of displacement, limited access to basic services, climate shocks and economic hardship.

The UN Humanitarian Country Team disclosed that only $215 million of the $516 million appeal has been funded as of May 2026, leaving a massive gap as humanitarian needs worsen amid a global decline in international funding.

“Humanitarian needs are dramatically worsening at a time when we are facing the steepest decline in international funding for humanitarian operations. Every day that funding gaps persist is a day that, yet another malnourished child is pushed closer to preventable death,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to leading humanitarian coordination, saying government would continue to provide policy direction and ensure humanitarian efforts complement broader national reforms.

The governors of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe – Babagana Zulum, Ahmadu Fintiri and Mai Mala Buni – reiterated their commitment to strengthened collaboration with humanitarian partners.

The World Bank estimates that about 139 million Nigerians – nearly 62 percent of the population – live below the poverty line as of 2025, a figure projected to reach 141 million by the end of 2026 amid persistent inflation and economic pressures.

Sources: punchng.com, guardian.ng, pmnewsnigeria.com