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Nearly 55 Million People Will Struggle to Feed in West and Central Africa in June-August 2024- Report
Nearly 55 Million People Will Struggle to Feed in West and Central Africa in June-August 2024- Report
By: Michael Mike
Nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves in the June-August 2024 lean season, according to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis released by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).
According to a statement on Friday jointly released by United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), this figure represents a four-million increase in the number of people who are food-insecure compared to the November 2023 forecast and highlights a fourfold increase over the last five years.
The statement lamented that the situation is particularly worrying in conflict-affected northern Mali, where an estimated 2,600 people are likely to experience catastrophic hunger (IPC/CH phase 5). The latest data also reveals a significant shift in the factors driving food insecurity in the region, beyond recurring conflicts.
It stated that economic challenges such as currency devaluations, soaring inflation, stagnating production, and trade barriers have worsened the food crisis, affecting ordinary people across the region with Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali being among the worst affected.
The statement decried that prices of major staple grains continue to rise across the region from 10 percent to more than 100 percent compared to the five-year average, driven by currency inflation, fuel and transport costs, ECOWAS sanctions, and restrictions on agropastoral product flows, noting that currency inflation is a major driver of price volatility in Ghana (23%), Nigeria (30%), Sierra Leone (54%), Liberia (10%), and The Gambia (16%).
It explained that West and Central Africa remain heavily dependent on imports to meet the population’s food needs, with import bills continue to rise due to currency depreciation and high inflation, even as countries struggle with major fiscal constraints and macroeconomic challenges.
According to the statement. cereal production for the 2023-2024 agricultural season shows a deficit of 12 million tons, while the per capita availability of cereals is down by two percent compared to the last agricultural season.
Speaking on the situation, WFP’s Acting Regional Director for Western Africa, Margot Vandervelden, said: “The time to act is now. We need all partners to step up, engage, adopt and implement innovative programs to prevent the situation from getting out of control, while ensuring no one is left behind,” adding that: “We need to invest more in resilience-building and longer-term solutions for the future of West Africa.”
The statement lamented that malnutrition in West and Central Africa is alarmingly high, with 16.7 million children under five acutely malnourished and more than 2 out of 3 households unable to afford healthy diets, in addition, 8 out of 10 children aged 6-23 months do not consume the minimum number of foods required for optimal growth and development.
High food prices, limited healthcare access, and inadequate diets primarily drive acute malnutrition in children under 5, adolescents, and pregnant women. In parts of northern Nigeria, the prevalence of acute malnutrition in women aged 15-49 years is as high as 31 percent.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director Gilles Fagninou, said: “For children in the region to reach their full potential, we need to ensure that each girl and boy receives good nutrition and care, lives in a healthy and safe environment, and is given the right learning opportunities.
“Good nutrition in early life and childhood is the promise for a productive and educated workforce for tomorrow’s society. To make a lasting difference in children’s lives, we need to consider the situation of the child as a whole and strengthen education, health, water and sanitation, food, and social protection systems.”
In response to increasingly growing needs, FAO, UNICEF, and WFP called on national governments, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector to implement sustainable solutions that bolster food security, enhance agricultural productivity, and mitigate the adverse effects of economic volatility.
They said governments and the private sector need to collaborate to ensure that the fundamental human right to food is upheld for all.
The statement revealed that in Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Niger, millions of people now benefit from national social protection programmes supported by UNICEF and WFP. Both agencies are expanding their support to the Chad and Burkina Faso governments. Similarly, FAO, IFAD, and WFP have joined forces across the Sahel to increase productivity, availability, and access to nutritious food through resilience-building programmes.
FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Robert Guei, said: “To respond to the unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity, it is important to mobilize for the promotion and support of policies that can encourage the diversification of plant, animal, and aquatic production and the processing of local foods (through the provision of agricultural inputs, access to productive resources for all to stimulate increased production and improve product availability).
“This is crucial not only to ensure healthy, affordable diets all year round, but also and above all to protect biodiversity, with the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change, and above all to counter high food prices and protect the livelihood of the affected population.”
Nearly 55 Million People Will Struggle to Feed in West and Central Africa in June-August 2024- Report
News
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
By Comrade Philip Ikodor
The National Progressive Hub (NPH), a leading support group for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on all Nigerians to rally behind President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for a successful second term in office come 2027.

In a statement, National Coordinator/Convener, Honorable Bukie Okangbe, praised the APC administration for its efforts towards nation-building and economic stability. Okangbe highlighted the NPH’s previous support for President Tinubu, including a National Security and Endorsement event in 2022 that contributed to the party’s successful general election outcome.
The NPH is gearing up for a Grand Endorsement event for President Tinubu’s second term, scheduled to hold on February 26th at the Musa Yaradua Center, CBD, Abuja. The event will also feature the inauguration of 36 state coordinators, including the FCT, and address critical national issues.
“We invite everyone to join us at this significant event,” Okangbe said. “Your presence will be a testament to our collective commitment to Nigeria’s progress and the APC’s vision for a better future.”
The event promises to be a landmark occasion, showcasing the NPH’s dedication to the APC and President Tinubu’s leadership.
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
News
Borno: Zulum distributes farm tools, commissions school in Damasak
Borno: Zulum distributes farm tools, commissions school in Damasak
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Sunday, distributed farm tools to farmers and commissioned a new high Islamic school in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area.
Governor Zulum was accompanied by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.

Zulum’s agricultural intervention aimed to boost dry-season farming and enhance the livelihoods of returnees who are gradually resettling in the community.
Zulum said, “From the beginning of this administration, dry season irrigation farming was adopted as a strategic component of the state’s food security framework. Recognising the limitations of rain-fed agriculture in the context of climate variability, insecurity, and population growth, the government implemented a dual-season production strategy to ensure year-round farming.”

He added, “Today’s distribution of 1,000 solar-powered water pumps and 200 complete tubewell drilling kits build upon earlier targeted interventions in Damasak and surrounding communities, including irrigation infrastructure development, mechanisation services, farmer-training, cooperative support, and security stabilisation measures.”
He stated, “The state remains aligned with the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit and continues collaboration with relevant Federal Ministries and development partners to strengthen agricultural productivity, processing, and market integration.”

At the commissioning of the newly constructed high Islamic school, Zulum noted, “the commissioning of the Higher Islamic College, Damasak, represents a major milestone in the state government’s policy to expand and modernise sangaya education across Borno State. This intervention reflects our commitment to building an inclusive education system that integrates spiritual development with academic and vocational advancement.”
“All Higher Islamic Colleges operate under the approved curriculum of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), enabling students to obtain O-Level equivalent certification and pursue further education where desired.”
In his remarks, the commissioner of education, Engr Lawan Abba Wakilbe, underscores Governor Zulum’s giant strides, stating, “this institution forms part of a wider education recovery and expansion programme implemented across Borno State. Under the leadership of His Excellency,”
“The state has constructed One Hundred and Four (104) Mega Schools, rehabilitated and remodelled One Thousand and Eighty-Seven (1,087) classrooms, executed major works in forty (40) additional schools, restored thirty (30) flood-affected schools, and delivered numerous classroom projects through the State Universal Basic Education Board.”

“These strategic investments have yielded measurable progress. The number of out-of-school children has declined significantly from approximately 2.2 million to fewer than Eight Hundred Thousand (800,000). Current enrolment for the 2025 academic year stands at One Million Four Hundred and Eighteen thousand two hundred and seventy-nine (1,418,279) learners, with further increases expected as Women Leader, Hajiya Fati Alkali Kakenna.
Borno: Zulum distributes farm tools, commissions school in Damasak
News
Air-ground offensive foils Kukawa attack, destroys gun trucks
Air-ground offensive foils Kukawa attack, destroys gun trucks
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops have thwarted a coordinated multi-pronged terrorist assault on positions in Kukawa after a prolonged overnight battle supported by air strikes.
Military sources said the attackers, mounted on gun trucks, motorcycles and on foot, launched the assault from multiple directions late on Feb. 20.

Troops mounted a determined defence, engaging the insurgents in intense combat that lasted into the early hours of Feb. 21 before forcing them to withdraw while dragging away casualties.
Air strikes later destroyed one gun truck and several motorcycles carrying fleeing fighters, neutralising additional terrorists.

During follow-up exploitation, troops recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 16 loaded magazines, three handheld radios, and other items believed to have been used by the attackers, as well as evidence of casualties evacuated by the group.
One soldier was killed during the encounter, while some equipment was damaged by rocket fire. Injured personnel were evacuated and are reported to be in stable condition.
Military authorities said the coordinated operations demonstrated sustained pressure on insurgent elements and continued efforts to degrade their combat capability across the theatre.
Air-ground offensive foils Kukawa attack, destroys gun trucks
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