As food prices soar and malnutrition worsens across Nigeria, experts have expressed deep concern over the nation’s deteriorating food security ranking, warning that the crisis could intensify unless urgent action is taken.
Speaking at the Nutritious Food Fair in Kano on Thursday, the Country Representative of Propcom+ Nigeria, Dr. Adiya Ode, revealed that more than 31.8 million Nigerians are currently grappling with acute food insecurity.
She described the figure as alarming and called for swift, coordinated measures to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-blown humanitarian emergency.
“The rising cost of food, coupled with widespread malnutrition and child stunting, paints a grim picture for Nigeria’s food security,” Ode said. “If we fail to act now, the crisis will only deepen.”
Ode stressed the need for renewed strategies to make nutritious food more affordable and accessible to vulnerable households.
She reaffirmed Propcom+’s commitment to working with government institutions and private partners to drive food security initiatives anchored on climate-smart and market-driven solutions.
“We are committed to building sustainable food systems that can withstand the pressures of climate change and economic instability,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, Country Manager of HarvestPlus Nigeria, Dr. Yusuf Dollah Fu’ad, maintained that Nigeria could overcome its food crisis if the government invests in boosting farmers’ productivity through the cultivation of nutrient-enriched staple crops.
He cited biofortified varieties of cassava and maize enriched with vitamin A as practical examples that have helped reduce hidden hunger and improve dietary diversity among rural households.
“The food-based approach remains one of the most cost-effective and sustainable methods of tackling malnutrition,” Fu’ad explained. “Since most Nigerians consume what they produce, empowering farmers with nutrient-rich crop varieties will directly improve national nutrition levels.”
Both experts urged policymakers to champion agricultural innovation, expand farmers’ access to inputs, and strengthen local value chains to ensure that healthy, affordable food reaches every household across the country.
