The World Food Programme on Tuesday said rising terrorist attacks and instability across northern Nigeria are pushing hunger levels to their worst point in years, with thousands now at risk of “famine-like conditions.”
In a statement, the UN agency projected that nearly 35 million people in northern Nigeria could face severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season from May to September.
According to the WFP, 15,000 people in Borno State alone—centre of the 16-year insurgency—are expected to experience catastrophic hunger.
The conflict in the northeast has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced about two million, spreading into neighbouring countries.
The worsening security situation is being fuelled not only by Boko Haram and ISWAP activities in the northeast but also by armed “bandit” groups operating in the north-central and north-west regions.
Last week, Nigeria recorded three mass kidnappings in Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara states, involving schoolchildren, teachers, and worshippers.
Although insurgent attacks had declined from their peak in 2015, the WFP said violence has risen again this year as jihadist groups strengthen and security forces become overstretched.
The agency noted that the lean season normally leaves rural households with limited food reserves, but inflation and economic hardship have made it increasingly difficult for families to buy food.
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The WFP also linked the deteriorating situation to cuts in global humanitarian funding.
The United States, its largest donor, reduced aid under the Trump administration, while several European countries have also lowered their contributions.
Almost one million people in the northeast depend on WFP assistance, but funding shortfalls forced the agency to scale down operations in July, shutting 150 of its 500 nutrition centres and placing more than 300,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition.
Jihadist attacks have intensified in recent months, with the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims claiming responsibility for its first operation in Nigeria late last month.
“Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress,” WFP’s representative in Nigeria, David Stevenson, said. “Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising.”
The crisis comes as Nigeria battles record inflation and economic difficulties linked to ongoing reforms under President Bola Tinubu, which have significantly increased the cost of living nationwide.