Resurgent terrorist attacks and escalating insecurity in northern Nigeria are driving hunger to unprecedented levels, leaving thousands facing “famine-like conditions,” the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
The UN agency said nearly 35 million people across the north are expected to experience severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, which runs from May to September. Borno State, the epicentre of the 16-year jihadist insurgency, alone could see around 15,000 people reach catastrophic hunger. The conflict has killed over 40,000 and displaced roughly two million residents in the northeast, with effects spilling into neighbouring countries.
While Boko Haram remains active in the northeast, central and northwestern Nigeria face additional violence from “bandit” gangs, who raid villages, kill residents, and abduct citizens for ransom. Last week alone, Nigeria suffered three mass kidnappings: over 300 students and teachers in Niger State, 25 Muslim high school girls in Kebbi, and 38 church worshippers in Kwara.
The WFP highlighted that the lean season, combined with high inflation and economic hardship, leaves rural communities with little food reserves. Nearly one million people depend on WFP assistance, but funding shortfalls have forced the agency to close 150 of its 500 nutrition centres in the northeast, putting more than 300,000 children at risk.
“Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress,” said WFP Nigeria representative David Stevenson. “Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising.”
The agency urged the Nigerian government and international donors to prioritise humanitarian aid and strengthen security, warning that without intervention, malnutrition and hunger could worsen dramatically across the region.
