What is the cause of hunger in Nigeria?

December 13, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Food Programme, over 26 million Nigerians were projected to face acute hunger in 2024, highlighting a severe food crisis. Understanding what is the cause of hunger in Nigeria requires examining a combination of economic instability, widespread conflict, and the deepening impact of climate change.

Quick Summary

An acute hunger crisis is affecting millions in Nigeria due to a combination of economic instability, conflict, climate change, and inadequate agricultural practices. These factors limit food availability and affordability, forcing millions into displacement and poverty. Addressing the crisis requires a multifaceted approach involving agricultural reform, security, and poverty alleviation.

Key Points

Economic Instability: Fluctuating oil prices and high inflation, exacerbated by policy changes like fuel subsidy removal, significantly reduce household purchasing power and food affordability.
Conflict and Insecurity: Insurgencies and farmer-herder clashes disrupt agricultural activities, displace millions, and damage food supply chains, especially in Nigeria's northeast and north-central regions.
Climate Change Impacts: Erratic rainfall, droughts, and floods reduce crop yields, increase soil degradation, and make farming increasingly unpredictable for millions of subsistence farmers.
Poor Infrastructure: Inadequate storage and transport facilities lead to immense post-harvest food losses, worsening food scarcity and driving up prices for consumers.
Governance and Policy Failures: Despite numerous initiatives, poor policy implementation, corruption, and a lack of accountability have limited the effectiveness of programs designed to combat hunger.
Agricultural Practices: A reliance on outdated farming techniques and limited access to modern inputs like fertilizer and quality seeds contribute to low productivity in the agricultural sector.

Economic Instability and Poverty

Economic factors play a significant role in causing hunger in Nigeria. Fluctuations in global oil prices, on which Nigeria's economy is heavily reliant, can drastically impact the national economy. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 further intensified the problem by driving up transportation costs, making food supply chains more expensive and increasing the cost of basic food items for struggling households.

Skyrocketing Inflation

Food inflation: Food inflation in Nigeria has been consistently high, reaching its highest level in 25 years in 2024. This rapid increase in the cost of food directly reduces the purchasing power of average households, making it impossible for many to afford sufficient and nutritious food.
High poverty levels: Approximately 84 million Nigerians live below the poverty line, with poverty restricting households' ability to produce or purchase adequate food. A low average income, coupled with high inflation, traps millions in a cycle of poverty and food insecurity.
Impact of government policies: Inconsistent policy implementation and corruption hinder the effectiveness of government interventions aimed at alleviating poverty and hunger, with past programs failing to achieve their long-term goals due to poor execution.

Conflict, Insecurity, and Displacement

Violence and insecurity have profoundly impacted Nigeria's food system, particularly in the northeastern and north-central regions. The ongoing Boko Haram insurgency has displaced millions of people, disrupting farming activities, blocking access to farmlands, and destroying agricultural infrastructure.

Disruption of Agricultural Production

Boko Haram insurgency: In conflict-ridden states like Borno, many farmers are unable to cultivate their fields for fear of attacks, leading to significant declines in food production. Displaced populations often rely on limited food aid in overcrowded camps, where resources are insufficient.
Farmer-herder clashes: The conflict in the middle belt, primarily between herders and farmers, is fueled by climate-induced resource scarcity and has led to the destruction of livelihoods and an increase in food insecurity. Violence makes farming a dangerous and often impossible livelihood choice.
Impact on supply chains: Bandits and criminal gangs threaten trade routes through extortion and attacks, disrupting food distribution and further limiting access to essential goods. This instability creates a widespread atmosphere of fear and hinders any prospects for long-term recovery.

Climate Change and Agricultural Challenges

Climate change and poor agricultural practices are significant drivers of hunger in Nigeria, impacting food production and availability. Erratic weather patterns, including droughts and floods, make farming unpredictable and reduce crop yields.

Key Environmental Factors

Irregular rainfall patterns: Climate change has caused irregular rainfall, with prolonged droughts in the northern regions and severe flooding in the south. This variability disrupts planting and harvesting cycles, leading to crop failures.
Desertification and soil degradation: In Northern Nigeria, desertification is rapidly shrinking arable land, while heavy rains in the south lead to soil erosion. These factors reduce the productive capacity of farmlands and decrease overall agricultural output.
Post-harvest losses: Inadequate storage facilities and underdeveloped transportation networks lead to significant post-harvest losses, with up to 30% of grains and 50% of perishable goods being lost annually. This wastage worsens food scarcity amid a growing population.

Comparison of Agricultural Challenges


Challenge	Effect on Food Security	Impact on Vulnerable Groups	Potential Mitigation Strategy
Climate Change	Reduces crop yields and causes crop failures.	Displaces farming communities, leading to increased competition for resources and higher food prices.	Investment in irrigation systems and climate-smart technologies like drought-resistant seeds.
Insecurity	Disrupts farming activities and food distribution.	Forces millions into displacement, increasing reliance on external aid and creating malnutrition.	Comprehensive peacebuilding efforts and protecting farmlands.
Economic Instability	Reduces purchasing power and access to food due to high inflation.	Traps millions in a cycle of poverty and hunger, particularly low-income families.	Expanding social safety nets and targeted financial support for vulnerable households.
Poor Infrastructure	Leads to significant post-harvest food losses due to poor storage and transport.	Increases the final cost of food for consumers, making it unaffordable for many.	Investment in rural storage facilities and improved logistics networks to reduce waste.

Conclusion

Hunger in Nigeria is a multifaceted crisis driven by a vicious cycle of economic instability, conflict, and climate change. Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach that moves beyond emergency aid to build long-term resilience. A shift towards sustainable agriculture, improved infrastructure, and robust governance is essential to stabilize food systems and ensure a food-secure future for all Nigerians. Empowering small-scale farmers and investing in modern technology will be critical to boosting agricultural productivity and reducing the country's dependence on imports. The pathway to a resilient future depends on transparent policy implementation and decisive action that addresses the root causes of this deepening crisis. For further reading on the broader context of food security globally, a helpful resource is the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Economic instability causes hunger primarily through high food inflation and widespread poverty. When food prices rise dramatically and household incomes remain low, many families lack the purchasing power to afford sufficient and nutritious food.

Conflict, such as the Boko Haram insurgency and farmer-herder clashes, severely disrupts agricultural production by displacing farmers, destroying farmland, and obstructing food supply routes. This violence reduces food availability and forces displaced people to rely on inadequate aid.

Climate change in Nigeria leads to erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and severe floods. These extreme weather events cause crop failures, soil degradation, and destroy farmlands, reducing agricultural output and food supplies.

Post-harvest losses are the significant amounts of food that spoil or go to waste after being harvested but before they reach consumers. These losses occur due to inadequate storage facilities and poor transportation infrastructure, contributing to food scarcity and higher prices.

Many government initiatives have failed due to inconsistent funding, poor implementation, and corruption. While intentions may be good, a lack of robust execution and continuity across administrations has limited the impact of these programs.

Poverty restricts households' ability to purchase or produce enough food. As over 84 million Nigerians live below the poverty line, they are disproportionately affected by food price increases and agricultural disruptions, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and hunger.

Potential solutions include enhancing agricultural productivity through technology and improved inputs, expanding social safety nets to protect vulnerable populations, and addressing underlying conflicts to ensure security. It also requires better infrastructure for storage and transport, and transparent policy implementation.