Nigeria’s Food Security Crisis: 33 Million Face Hunger Despite Agricultural Gains

October 8, 2025 – While Nigeria has made significant strides in agricultural production, a staggering 33 million Nigerians continue to face acute food insecurity, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of current aid strategies and distribution systems.

The Paradox: Production Up, Hunger Persists

Nigeria has achieved notable agricultural successes in 2025, including:

• Increased production across major crops including yam, rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, and cassava
• Wheat production tripled in just one year through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket
• Expansion of cultivated areas with improved farming practices
• Deployment of 2,000 tractors and farming implements nationwide

Yet despite these gains, hunger continues to plague the nation, with ActionAid Nigeria reporting that over 133 million Nigerians are affected by food insecurity.

The $10 Billion Question

In a damning assessment, the United Nations and African Development Bank (AfDB) have revealed that over $10 billion has been spent on humanitarian aid in Northern Nigeria alone. Officials now argue that investing this same amount in agricultural production could have “transformed the region.”

This revelation has prompted international development partners to call for a fundamental shift from short-term humanitarian handouts to long-term investment in food production systems.

Government Response and New Initiatives

The Nigerian government has launched several programs to address the crisis:

• Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones established in Kaduna, Cross River, and Ogun states, attracting $538.05 million in investment with expectations to reach $1 billion by 2027
• Nigeria Postharvest Systems Transformation Programme (NiPHaST) targeting ₦3.5 trillion in annual post-harvest losses
• Commitment to the Kampala Declaration (2026-2036) on Agriculture and Food Security

The Way Forward

UN and AfDB officials are advocating for:

• Increased investment in innovative, production-oriented food systems
• Expanded food production in fragile regions
• Strengthened storage and processing infrastructure
• Greater farmer access to finance

Public Awareness Campaign

ActionAid Nigeria launched its “Pots and Pans Campaign” on October 1, 2025, to raise public awareness about the hunger crisis affecting millions of Nigerians.

Analysis

The contrast between Nigeria’s agricultural progress and persistent food insecurity highlights a critical gap between production and distribution. The revelation about $10 billion in humanitarian spending raises fundamental questions about aid effectiveness and whether emergency relief has inadvertently prolonged dependency rather than building sustainable food systems.

As Nigeria moves forward with its agricultural transformation agenda, the success of these initiatives will depend on addressing not just production, but the entire food value chain—from farm to fork.