Peter Obi Warns of Severe Hunger Crisis in Northern Nigeria

Peter Obi, a prominent political figure and former governor of Anambra State, has raised alarms about a deepening hunger crisis in northern Nigeria. According to a recent report from the United Nations, approximately 17 million people across nine northern states are experiencing crisis-level hunger, marking the worst situation in nearly a decade.

Obi highlighted that 35 million Nigerians nationwide are at risk of slipping into hunger during the ongoing lean season. He specifically noted that 10,000 residents in Borno State have already entered a catastrophic hunger condition.

Obi attributed the crisis to two structural failures: insecurity preventing farmers from accessing farmland and the displacement of agrarian communities due to banditry and insurgency. He urged the federal and state governments to move beyond political rhetoric and invest transparently in securing agricultural corridors and supporting smallholder farmers.

The World Food Programme has indicated that escalating conflict and dwindling humanitarian funds have exacerbated the hunger crisis in northern Nigeria.