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UN: SDG 2, Zero Hunger may not be Achieved in 2030

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UN: SDG 2, Zero Hunger may not be Achieved in 2030
***1/5th of Africans Faced Hunger in 2023

By: Michael Mike

The World is at the risk of not achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 and Zero Hunger by 2030.

The annual report, launched this year in the context of the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting in Brazil, issued by five United Nations (UN) agencies has warned.

The report which showed that the world has been set back 15 years, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 2008-2009, disclosed that around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) published on Wednesday by five United Nations specialized agencies.

A statement on Thursday by the United Nations agencies said despite some progress in specific areas such as stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, an alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023—approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when considering the mid-range (733 million).

The statement said: “Regional trends vary significantly: the percentage of the population facing hunger continues to rise in Africa (20.4 percent), remains stable in Asia (8.1 percent)—though still representing a significant challenge as the region is home to more than half of those facing hunger worldwide —and shows progress in Latin America (6.2 percent). From 2022 to 2023, hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African subregions.

“If current trends continue, about 582 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030, half of them in Africa, warn the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This projection closely resembles the levels seen in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals the were adopted, marking a concerning stagnation in progress.”

The report highlighted that access to adequate food remains elusive for billions. In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has not changed significantly since the sharp upturn in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, going without food for an entire day or more at times.

The report added that this number has remained stubbornly high since 2020 and while Latin America showed improvement, broader challenges persist, especially in Africa where 58 percent of the population is moderately or severely food insecure.

“The lack of economic access to healthy diets also remains a critical issue, affecting over one-third of the global population. With new food price data and methodological improvements, the publication reveals that over 2.8 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. This disparity is most pronounced in low-income countries, where 71.5 percent of the population cannot afford a healthy diet, compared to 6.3 percent in high-income countries. Notably, the number dropped below pre-pandemic levels in Asia and in Northern America and Europe, while it increased substantially in Africa.

“While progress has been made in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants to 48%, achieving global nutrition targets will be a challenge. Low birthweight prevalence has stagnated around 15%, and stunting among children under five, while declining to 22.3%, still falls short of achieving targets. Additionally, the prevalence of wasting among children has not seen significant improvement while anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years has increased,” the report further said.

According to the report: “Similarly, new estimates of adult obesity show a steady increase over the last decade, from 12.1 percent (2012) to 15.8 percent (2022). Projections indicate that by 2030, the world will have more than 1.2 billion obese adults. The double burden of malnutrition – the co-existence of undernutrition together with overweight and obesity – has also surged globally across all age groups. Thinness and underweight have declined in the last two decades, while obesity has risen sharply.

“These trends underscore the complex challenges of malnutrition in all its forms and the urgent need for targeted interventions as the world is not on track to reach any of the seven global nutrition targets by 2030, the five agencies indicate.

“Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries. Major drivers like conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are becoming more frequent and severe. These issues, along with underlying factors such as unaffordable healthy diets, unhealthy food environments and persistent inequality, are now coinciding simultaneously, amplifying their individual effects.”

This year’s report’s theme “Financing to end hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition’’, emphasized that achieving SDG 2 Zero Hunger requires a multi-faceted approach, including transforming and strengthening agrifood systems, addressing inequalities, and ensuring affordable and accessible healthy diets for all. It calls for increased and more cost-effective financing, with a clear and standardized definition of financing for food security and nutrition.

The heads of the five UN agencies, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu; IFAD President Alvaro Lario; UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell; WFP’s Executive Director Cindy McCain; and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus write in the report’s Foreword: “Estimating the gap in financing for food security and nutrition and mobilizing innovative ways of financing to bridge it must be among our top priorities. Policies, legislation and interventions to end hunger and ensure all people have access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food (SDG Target 2.1), and to end all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) need significant resource mobilization. They are not only an investment in the future, but our obligation. We strive to guarantee the right to adequate food and nutrition of current and future generations”.

The statement said, as highlighted during a recent event in the High-Level Political Forum at UN headquarters in New York, the report underscores that the looming financing gap necessitates innovative, equitable solutions, particularly for countries facing high levels of hunger and malnutrition exacerbated by climate impacts.

It said: “Countries most in need of increased financing face significant challenges in access. Among the 119 low- and middle-income countries analyzed, approximately 63 percent have limited or moderate access to financing. Additionally, the majority of these countries (74 percent) are impacted by one or more major factors contributing to food insecurity and malnutrition. Coordinated efforts to harmonize data, increase risk tolerance, and enhance transparency are vital to bridge this gap and strengthen global food security and nutrition frameworks.

The FAO Director-General, Qu Dongyu said: “Transforming agrifood systems is more critical than ever as we face the urgency of achieving the SDGs within six short years. FAO remains committed to supporting countries in their efforts to eradicate hunger and ensure food security for all. We will work together with all partners and with all approaches, including the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, to accelerate the needed change. Together, we must innovate and collaborate to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems that can better withstand future challenges for a better world.”

IFAD President, Alvaro Lario: “The fastest route out of hunger and poverty is proven to be through investments in agriculture in rural areas. But the global and financial landscape has become far more complex since the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015. Ending hunger and malnutrition demands that we invest more – and more smartly. We must bring new money into the system from the private sector and recapture the pandemic-era appetite for ambitious global financial reform that gets cheaper financing to the countries who need it most.”

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell: “Malnutrition affects a child’s survival, physical growth, and brain development. Global child stunting rates have dropped by one third, or 55 million, in the last two decades, showing that investments in maternal and child nutrition pay off. Yet globally, one in four children under the age of five suffers from undernutrition, which can lead to long-term damage. We must urgently step-up financing to end child malnutrition. The world can and must do it. It is not only a moral imperative but also a sound investment in the future.”

WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain: “A future free from hunger is possible if we can rally the resources and the political will needed to invest in proven long-term solutions. I call on G20 leaders to follow Brazil’s example and prioritize ambitious global action on hunger and poverty. “We have the technologies and know-how to end food insecurity – but we urgently need the funds to invest in them at scale. WFP is ready to step up our collaboration with governments and partners to tackle the root causes of hunger, strengthen social safety nets and support sustainable development so every family can live in dignity.”

WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “The progress we have made on reducing stunting and improving exclusive breastfeeding shows that the challenges we face are not insurmountable. We must use those gains as motivation to alleviate the suffering that millions of people around the world endure every day from hunger, food insecurity, unhealthy diets and malnutrition. The substantial investment required in healthy, safe and sustainably produced food is far less than the costs to economies and societies if we do nothing.”

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is an annual report jointly prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Since 1999, it has monitored and analysed the world’s progress towards ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition. It also provides an in-depth analysis of key challenges for achieving these goals in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report targets a wide audience, including policymakers, international organizations, academic institutions and the general public.

This year’s theme is timely and relevant in the run-up to the Summit of the Future, and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025.

UN: SDG 2, Zero Hunger may not be Achieved in 2030

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Over 500 Girls Empowered in Ketti Community, FCT

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Over 500 Girls Empowered in Ketti Community, FCT

By: Michael Mike

Over 500 girls have been empowered in Ketti Community in the Federal Capital Territory to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.

The event organized by the Caleb Danladi Foundation to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, brought hundreds of young girls, women, traditional rulers, and community leaders together.

The celebration, themed “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls at the Frontiers of Crisis”, focused on promoting girls’ education, leadership, and menstrual health awareness. It brought together stakeholders from different walks of life committed to supporting the development and empowerment of the girl child in rural communities.

In his opening address, the Founder and President of the Caleb Danladi Foundation, Capt. Caleb Danladi, emphasized the urgent need to address the rising number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, particularly girls in underserved communities.

He said educating girls remains one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty, promote gender equality, and drive sustainable community development.

Danladi said: “We cannot build a strong and inclusive society when our girls are left behind. Every girl deserves access to quality education, safety, and equal opportunity to fulfill her dreams.”

He used the platform to donate over 1,500 sanitary pads to the participants, highlighting the Foundation’s commitment to promoting menstrual hygiene and ensuring that girls are not deprived of education due to lack of access to sanitary products.

The keynote speaker, Barrister Saratu Bissala Alao, spoke passionately about the importance of menstrual hygiene and breaking the silence around menstruation. She educated the girls on proper sanitary practices and encouraged parents and community leaders to support girls’ health and dignity.

Other speakers at the event included the District Head of Ketti and his wife, the Women Leader, Youth Leader, and several children and community advocates, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to supporting initiatives that advance girl child education and well-being.

In his remarks, the District Head of Ketti commended the Caleb Danladi Foundation for choosing Ketti Community as part of its outreach, describing the initiative as timely and impactful.

He called for continued collaboration between traditional institutions, government, and civil society organizations to tackle the barriers preventing girls from accessing education.

The event featured interactive sessions, motivational talks, cultural presentations, and question-and-answer sessions that inspired the girls to dream big and take pride in their identities.

The 2025 International Day of the Girl Child celebration in Ketti ended on a hopeful note, with participants expressing gratitude for the life-changing messages and support received. The Caleb Danladi Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to continue advocating for girls’ rights, education, and empowerment across communities in Nigeria.

Over 500 Girls Empowered in Ketti Community, FCT

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Gunmen kill eight in Nasarawa village attack

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Gunmen kill eight in Nasarawa village attack

By: Zagazola Makama

At least eight persons have been confirmed dead following an armed attack on Nindama village in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Sources said that the attack occurred in the early hours of Oct. 10.

The sources said that unknown gunmen invaded the village around 3:30 a.m., shooting sporadically and killing eight residents.

“Two other persons sustained critical injuries and are currently receiving treatment, while six others are still missing,” the sources said.

He said that at about 3:30 p.m., a combined team of security agencies including army, police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) visited the scene along with the Executive Chairman of Kokona LGA, Hon. Agbawu M. Agbawu.

According to the sources, the corpses have been evacuated to the mortuary, while efforts are ongoing to locate the missing persons and apprehend the attackers.

Preliminary investigation, sources said, indicated that the attack may have been connected to a lingering land dispute in the area.

The security forces assured residents of intensified security patrols and urged anyone with useful information to assist the ongoing investigation.

Gunmen kill eight in Nasarawa village attack

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Bandit abduct road construction worker in Katsina as security forces intensify search and rescue

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Bandit abduct road construction worker in Katsina as security forces intensify search and rescue

By: Zagazola Makama

A search-and-rescue operation has been launched to secure the release of a road construction worker abducted by gunmen in Charanchi Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred at about 7:14 p.m. on Thursday along the Kunduru–Kadanya feeder road, when unknown assailants reportedly laid an ambush and kidnapped one Kabiru Bature, a 35-year-old driver attached to Stantech Road Construction Company.

The sources said that security forces were immediately mobilised to the area, blocked all potential escape routes, and initiated a cordon-and-search operation aimed at rescuing the victim and apprehending the perpetrators.

The troops have been deployed to track the movements of the kidnappers, believed to have fled into the surrounding forest.

Efforts were ongoing as of the time of filing this report to rescue the victim safely and bring the abductors to justice.

Bandit abduct road construction worker in Katsina as security forces intensify search and rescue

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