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An alarming number of Nigerians—approximately 25.3 million—are in danger of acute food insecurity during the next few months, .

This represents a rise from the 17 million that are currently estimated to be at risk of food insecurity. The report identifies violent conflict, climate change, inflation and rising food prices as the key drivers exacerbating the country's food security situation.

The —which ranks countries based on food affordability, availability, quality and safety—ranked Nigeria 107 out of 113 countries. This is a notable drop from its .

Two formidable forces have converged to push Nigeria's food security to the brink: climate change, with its unpredictable weather patterns, and violent conflict.

Nigerian politicians have attested to this dangerous combination. Muhammad Abubakar, Nigeria's minister of agriculture and rural development, lamented in 2022 that were hampering the nation's food security.

Climate change and food insecurity

Nigeria relies heavily on agriculture, with approximately to make a living. Since both activities rely heavily on weather patterns like rainfall, Nigeria's agriculture industry is very susceptible to the effects of climate change.

In addition, Nigeria is one of the . It has experienced a variety of climate disasters, including rising temperatures, gully erosion, drought and increased flooding.

In 2022, Nigeria was hit by devastating floods that , displaced more than 1.4 million and destroyed about 90,000 homes. found that climate change was likely responsible for the heavy rains that caused the flooding.

The floods destroyed , worsening the already severe food insecurity in the country. Crops were destroyed and the floods cost the agricultural sector in damages.

In addition, the arid regions of the northwest and northeastern parts of Nigeria are currently facing substantial challenges from drought and land degradation. Both issues , as they result in less water being available for crops.

Violence fueling food crisis

Compounding the climate change crisis is the rise in violence orchestrated by armed groups like .

Violence, armed banditry and kidnappings . This violence has affected northern Nigeria in particular, where the bulk of food production occurs and .

Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and armed herders have forced in Borno, Katsina, Taraba, Plateau and other northern states.

, according to the chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, disrupting farming activities in the affected regions.

Farmer-herder conflict

The Boko Haram insurgency is also a contributing factor in , a key crop-producing area of Nigeria.

The insurgency, along with land and water scarcity, has forced nomadic herders from the north to migrate south in search of grazing lands and water for their livestock. As a result, the herders have .

Although ethnicity and religion play a role in the conflict —many of the herders are Fulani Muslims while the farmers are Christian and from other ethnic groups—climate change is exacerbating it. Increasing temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns have between the two groups, leading to more disputes.

Herders have and .

Over the past eight years, . The violence has largely disrupted the food supply chains between northern and southern Nigeria, as many .

Addressing the crisis

Nigeria is currently at a crossroads. Without taking immediate action, the number of Nigerians who are food insecure will continue to increase.

More than 5.9 million children in northwest and northeast Nigeria between May 2022 and April 2023. More than 1.6 million of these children suffered from severe acute malnutrition.

The government has recently made announcements regarding these issues. In May, Bola Tinubu, Nigeria's president, pledged to implement to address the conflicts between farmers and herdsmen in the country.

These modern practices include building agricultural hubs to enhance productivity, guaranteeing minimal prices for certain crops and animal products, and creating storage facilities to reduce food waste.

The government should adopt a multi-faceted approach to address the food insecurity crisis. This kind of approach would integrate climate action, modern livestock and farming techniques, and security measures to mitigate the impacts climate change and violent conflict are having on Nigeria's food insecurity.

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