24.8m to experience food crisis due to cash crunch, others

A report analysed by Cadre Harmonise (CH) showed that 24.8 million Nigerians in 26 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including 18,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) will be in food and nutrition crisis between June and August.

According to the report, key drivers are naira redesign, prolonged fuel scarcity, flood incidence, protracted insecurity, high food inflation and loss of employment.

CH is a tool adopted by partners in the Food Security Sector (FSS), usually developed on request by the government as early warning tool to prevent and manage food crises.

The analysed states are: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Gombe Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and FCT.

In Nigeria, the process is led by Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) through National Programme for Food Security (NPFS), working with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as technical and financial support from global, regional, and national partners: FAO, CILSS, WFP, Save the Children, UNICEF, FEWS NET, CRS, Mercy Corps, among others.

The report said the monetary policy of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) towards the redesign of the currency and withdrawal of old notes from circulation created a bottleneck to households’ ability to access cash and food commodities.

“Insecurity, especially insurgency in Northeast still persists; banditry and kidnapping for ransom in Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna as well as Benue and Niger have also lingered.