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About 26.5 million may grapple with food insecurity in 2024- Report

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About 26.5 million may grapple with food insecurity in 2024- Report

By: Michael Mike

About 26.5 million Nigerians may grapple with high level of food insecurity in 2024, according to 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity.

This figure was released by the Government of Nigeria and its partners during the unveiling of the October 2023 Cadre Harmonisé analysis on food insecurity.

Also, approximately 9 million children are at risk of suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting. Of these, an alarming 2.6 million children could face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment.

The Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis, conducts studies biannually (in March and October) across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). With the Government’s leadership and the United Nations (UN) system’s support, the latest projection for 2024 indicates a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people currently vulnerable to food insecurity from October to December 2023.

According to the report, several factors are driving this trend, including ongoing conflicts, climate change impacts, escalating inflation, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities (in part due to the devaluation of the naira and the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy), adding that persistent violence in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) hinders food availability and access, with additionally, armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest and north-central states, including Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, and Niger, exacerbate the prevailing economic struggles.

According to a joint press statement on Friday by the World Food Programme, FAO, UNICEF, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, underscored the significance of the Cadre Harmonisé during a presentation in Abuja.

Represented by Mrs. Fausat Lawal, Director of Special Duties, Umekhihe highlighted that despite Government efforts, external challenges like the ongoing global economic effects of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, which disrupts food systems, persist.

Of the 18.6 million people who experience food insecurity today, 3.3 million live in the northeastern states of the BAY region. This number might rise to 26.5 million nationwide by the height of the 2024 lean season ( and to 4.4 million in the BAY states) if immediate action is not taken.

The FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, while calling on the Government to expand CH coverage to the remaining 10 states said, FAO would continue to support the Government and the people of Nigeria to overcome food insecurity and malnutrition.

He stated that: “In 2024, alongside our partners, FAO’s focus will be on agrifood systems transformation with deliberate attention on resilience-building, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and providing extension services.”

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that floods in October 2023 in Adamawa impacted around 8,500 households, leading to mass displacements, particularly among women, children, and the elderly. Such extreme weather patterns, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, are further undermining food security.

“Food insecurity and malnutrition are among the main drivers of humanitarian need in the BAY states,” said the head of OCHA in Nigeria, Mr. Trond Jensen.

“People have been forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex and child labour to stay alive. Over the past year, dozens of farmers have lost their lives, and others have been abducted or injured while eking out a living outside the security perimeters of Borno’s garrison towns due to limited farming lands and few or no livelihood options.”

UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, emphasized the urgent need for action. She said, “Every child deserves proper nutrition and a life free from hunger. It’s not merely a responsibility but a moral duty for governments and the global community to ensure these rights are upheld.”

Highlighting the long-standing issue, WFP’s Country Representative, David Stevenson,said: “The hunger crisis in Nigeria, fueled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast, needs urgent addressing. Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country”.

Trend analysis for the northeastern states indicates consistently high or rising food insecurity levels since 2018. Over 4 million people have needed urgent assistance annually since June 2020.

The United Nations urges the Nigerian Government, donors, and stakeholders to commit resources and implement measures to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster, emphasizing the need for immediate support across the nation.

The Cadre Harmonisé analysis covered 26 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the FCT. It represents a collaborative effort led by the Nigerian government, in association with regional technical agencies, UN bodies, and NGOs. The Cadre Harmonisé serves as a comprehensive tool to evaluate present and future food and nutrition scenarios.

About 26.5 million may grapple with food insecurity in 2024- Report

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VP’s Wife Consoles Maiduguri Bomb Blast Victims

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VP’s Wife Consoles Maiduguri Bomb Blast Victims


Calls for united front against insurgency.

By: Our Reporter

Wife of the Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria Mrs Nana Shettima has stressed the need for all hands to be on desk to put an end to the more than a decade insurgency in the north east .

She made the appeal while speaking to journalists in Maiduguri shortly after she visited victims of gmboru market Mosque bomb blast in the Borno State capital.

In an emotional interview, Mrs Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice‑President, speaking on behalf of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu,described barbaric suicide bomb attack that struck the Gamboru market mosque after Maghrib prayer on Wednesday as unfortunate.

She prayed for the dead, called for unity, and vowed the support of the First Lady’s office for affected families.

Mrs Nana Shettima said she was in Maiduguri to offer condolences and relief to victims and families.

She visited the homes of the bereaved in Mashamari, Ummarari Millionaire’s Quarters and Gamboru Ward, where she prayed for the deceased, asked Allah to grant them eternal rest, and sought strength for families bearing these irreparable losses.

To cushion immediate hardship, Mrs Shettima presented financial support to affected families seven widows each received ₦1,000,000 (total ₦7,000,000).

She also visited the Maiduguri State Specialist Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where she was shown around by Dr. Baba Shehu, Medical Director of the State Specialist Hospital, and received by Professor B. Kagu, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Council at UMTH, and Dr. Bunu Bukar.

After going round the patients beds at both hospitals Mrs Nana Shettima gave ₦500,000 to each of the 14 patients still on admission, offered words of consolation, and prayed for their speedy recovery.

The wife of the vice president reiterated her appeal for communal calm and solidarity in the face of tragedy.

The visit signals the First Lady’s office’s commitment to immediate humanitarian relief and moral support for affected families.

The visit underlines the first lady’s office commitment to spiritual consolation with practical assistance, targeting both households that lost breadwinners and those receiving medical care.
Mrs Nana Shettima confirmed she was in Maiduguri expressly on behalf of the first lady of the nation to sympathise with the victims.

Those who accompanied her includes the wife of the Borno State Governor Dr Falmata Babagana Umara Zullum,wife of the Deputy Governor Hajiya Maimuna Umar Kadafur, and the Borno State Apc women leader Hajiya Fati Alkali Kakinna among other top female government officials.

VP’s Wife Consoles Maiduguri Bomb Blast Victims

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Police detain inspector, girlfriend over missing rifle in Taraba

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Police detain inspector, girlfriend over missing rifle in Taraba

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police in Taraba have detained an inspector and his girlfriend following the reported loss of an assault rifle along the Wukari–Jootar Federal Highway.

According to the source, the missing firearm belonged to Insp. Joshua Charles, aged 45, attached to the Safer Highway Patrol team.

The sources told Zagazola Makama that on Dec. 25, at about 3:00 p.m., the inspector reportedly left his duty post to Wukari town, leaving behind three other officers Insp. Haruna Galadima, Insp. Isah Waziri and Insp. Umar Mohammed who remained on duty.

“At about 8:30 p.m., the inspector’s girlfriend, one Ruth Alphancis of Sabon Gari area in Jalingo, who has been cohabiting with him since August 2025, returned from Jootar village in Benue and claimed to have seen an unidentified person breaking out of the house,” the source said.

He added that on the inspector’s return from Wukari town, allegedly in a drunken state, he discovered that his Type 06 assault rifle, loaded with 25 rounds of live ammunition, which he said he left inside the room, was missing.

The breach number of the rifle could not be immediately ascertained, the source said.

Following the report, the sources said operatives visited the scene, while efforts were intensified to recover the missing firearm and apprehend those responsible.

“The inspector and his girlfriend are currently in detention to aid investigation, while collaborative efforts involving local residents and hunters are ongoing to recover the rifle,” the source added.
End

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Troops of Operation Hadin Kai repel Boko Haram attack in Adamawa

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Troops of Operation Hadin Kai repel Boko Haram attack in Adamawa

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with other security elements, have repelled an attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Mayo Ladde village in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa.

The attack occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Friday in Mayo Ladde, a border community linking Askira/Uba Local Government Area and the Sambisa Forest axis of Borno.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that troops supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), swiftly responded to a distress call on the attempted incursion.

“The terrorists attempted to attack the village but were decisively engaged by the troops, who repelled them and forced them to retreat,” the source said.

According to the sources, no casualty was recorded during the incident, as residents of the village had fled the area before the arrival of the terrorists.

The source added that troops had intensified patrols and surveillance in the general area and along the border communities to forestall further attacks and deny the terrorists freedom of movement.

Operation Hadin Kai reiterated its commitment to sustaining offensive operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP elements to ensure the safety of lives and property in the North-East.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai repel Boko Haram attack in Adamawa

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