Members of the Nigerian International Non-Governmental Organisations Forum have issued a fresh warning about the deepening food and nutrition emergency in the country. They say roughly 96,000 children across six northern states could die from acute malnutrition if nothing changes.
At a joint media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the 30th of October, 2025, the Country Director of Action Against Hunger, Nigeria, Thierno Diallo, described the situation as a nationwide emergency. He stated that over 31 million Nigerians may face acute food insecurity in 2025, a figure that positions Nigeria as the country with the largest food crisis in the world.
International agencies have also raised similar concerns.
The United Nations Children’s Fund, in June 2024, reported that around 11 million Nigerian children under five are experiencing severe food poverty, consuming less than two of the eight essential food groups making them up to 50 percent more likely to suffer from life-threatening wasting.
In November 2024, the World Food Programme demanded accelerated, life-saving support for Nigeria, warning that about 33 million people could be pushed into acute food insecurity by 2025 if emergency actions are not taken. The WFP attributed the crisis to continued conflict in northern communities, inflation, and climate-related shocks that are damaging farmlands and livelihoods.
Diallo noted the severity of the threat:
“In the next three months, an estimated 600,000 children under the age of five will be at risk of severe acute malnutrition in six northern states Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara. “Without access to lifesaving treatment, 96,000 of these children are likely to die. That’s over 1,000 children dying every day,” Diallo warned.
He added that 32 percent of Nigerian children under five are stunted, with rates surpassing 50 percent in parts of the North-West. He also pointed out that more than 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face the same threat of acute malnutrition.
Diallo called the situation both a humanitarian and rights crisis:
“Food security and nutrition must be treated as non-negotiable for child survival, growth, and future productivity. No child should die from a preventable cause such as hunger or malnutrition,” he said.
The Country Director of Save the Children International (Nigeria), Duncan Harvey, explained that the joint statement was supported by over a dozen international organisations. He said the goal of the briefing was to highlight the growing severity of food insecurity and malnutrition affecting millions of people.
The Director of Programme Quality and Influencing at Plan International Nigeria, Helen Idiong, urged an increase in funding and stronger political will to stop the crisis affecting vulnerable Nigerians, especially women and children.
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“Severe malnutrition has irreversible effects on physical growth, cognitive development, and economic productivity all of which are critical for building national human capital,” Idiong explained.
She added that long-term solutions remain essential to end recurring food and nutrition emergencies.
“Food and nutrition security must be treated as a fundamental human right. Only through sustained political will, resource commitment, and collaboration can we reverse this alarming trend,” she added.
The Forum urged stakeholders to take practical steps, including shock-responsive social safety nets to help vulnerable households survive future shocks.
Other recommendations include expanding food assistance, scaling nutrition treatment, supporting livelihoods, and improving cooperation on the Cadre Harmonisé and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification to guide effective interventions.