The Federal Government has rolled out a series of strategic interventions to cushion the impact of the partial suspension of the World Food Programme (WFP) operations in Nigeria’s Northeast and Northwest regions, following concerns over a looming humanitarian crisis.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Federal Government has rolled out a series of strategic interventions to cushion the impact of the partial suspension of the World Food Programme (WFP) operations in Nigeria’s Northeast and Northwest regions, following concerns over a looming humanitarian crisis.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Hon. Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, disclosed this on Thursday at a world press conference in Abuja, where he assured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration was working to prevent a food and nutrition emergency, particularly among vulnerable groups.
According to the Minister, while the WFP currently supports over 1.3 million individuals, severe funding shortages have forced the organisation to scale down its coverage to 900,000 in August and a projected 725,000 in September. The reduction, he said, could leave about 575,000 people—mostly internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, pregnant women, and children—without critical food and nutrition support.
He warned that the scale-down could lead to increased food insecurity, worsening malnutrition, and a public health risk, especially in Borno and Yobe States where over 150 WFP-supported nutrition clinics face closure.
To bridge the gap, Dr. Sununu outlined several key interventions being implemented under President Tinubu’s renewed push for food security, which is a major plank of the government’s 8-point agenda.
“These interventions include the Dry Season Food Production Programme focusing on rice, maize, and cassava; the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NASG-AP); and intensified food security initiatives aimed at boosting domestic agricultural output and promoting potential exports,” he said.
He added that the federal government is also strengthening collaborations with international organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNICEF, and WFP, to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition.
Dr. Sununu noted that with over 33.1 million Nigerians projected to face crisis-level food insecurity in 2025, the government’s proactive measures were essential to avert a national emergency.
The Minister further called for support from philanthropic individuals, the organised private sector, and donor agencies to complement government efforts and close the gap created by the temporary WFP suspension.
“We are calling on our partners—both local and international—to provide urgent support to sustain humanitarian gains and prevent avoidable suffering,” he said.
He also stressed the need for long-term solutions, including support for local agriculture, nutrition-sensitive farming practices, and capacity building for local institutions.
“We must address not only the immediate humanitarian needs but also the structural challenges fueling food insecurity in the country,” Sununu added.
The government’s assurance comes amid rising concerns from stakeholders over the country’s growing food insecurity and the vulnerability of conflict-affected communities in the North.