ABUJA, July 9, 2026 — Growing concerns have emerged over food security in northern Nigeria after the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that millions of people across the region could face severe hunger if urgent humanitarian support is not provided.

The warning follows a recent food security assessment indicating that the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly due to persistent insecurity, displacement, poor access to farmland and shrinking international funding for relief operations.

According to the WFP, more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected states in northern Nigeria are experiencing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity, making the situation the most severe seen in nearly a decade.

The agency warned that the crisis is expanding beyond traditional conflict zones, with violence disrupting farming activities, limiting humanitarian access and forcing more families to flee their homes.

“What concerns us most is how this crisis is expanding,” said Kinday Samba, WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

He added that insecurity is spreading into wider areas, preventing people from cultivating their land and making it increasingly difficult for humanitarian agencies to reach vulnerable communities.

The WFP also expressed concern over severe funding shortages, saying available resources are no longer sufficient to meet the growing needs of affected populations. The agency estimates it requires substantial additional funding over the next six months to continue providing food, nutrition and logistics support across northern Nigeria.

Humanitarian officials warned that if assistance is not increased quickly, the food crisis could trigger higher levels of malnutrition, displacement and instability across the region.

The assessment identified Borno State as one of the worst-affected areas, with more than three million people experiencing acute food insecurity, including hundreds of thousands facing severe hunger conditions.

Experts attribute the worsening situation to a combination of prolonged conflict involving insurgent groups and armed gangs, climate-related challenges, economic pressures and reduced humanitarian funding.

Observers say the latest warning highlights the urgent need for coordinated action by government authorities, humanitarian organizations and international partners to prevent further deterioration in food security across northern Nigeria.

The WFP emphasized that timely intervention remains essential to protecting vulnerable households and preventing the crisis from escalating into an even larger humanitarian emergency.