No less than 4.5 million Nigerians lack food security. This is according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which made this disclosure in its Nigeria Staff Report for the 2021 Article IV Consultation’ report.
IMF, in the report, estimated that the number of Nigerians lacking food security increased from about 2.5 million as of December 2019 to about 4.5 million as of September 2021.
The Washington-based agency stated that the development was a result of the adverse effect of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, however, is leaving a lasting imprint on the vulnerable with an increased number of people facing food insecurity and poverty,” the report read.
The report from IMF further has it that Nigerians would continue to experience the adverse effect of the pandemic not only because of food insecurity, but also her poverty levels.
“The social impacts of the pandemic may be more enduring with rising food insecurity and an increase in the already-high levels of poverty,” the report read.
Meanwhile, the African richest man Aliko Dangote had predicted that Nigeria would soon experience food scarcity.
Speaking at the 4th annual food processing and nutrition leadership forum in Lagos, Dangote stated that between a period of three months, there would be a shortage of food for members of the public, due to the adverse consequence of the Russian-Ukraine war.
The billionaire industrialist, therefore, charged the Nigerian government to consider urgent steps in growing what the country consumes.
His words, “Not only wheat or maize will be affected but a lot of components because as we speak, potash and urea supply are held largely by Russia and Ukraine.
“There will be a scarcity of food because people will not be able to access fertilizers in the future. But we may not see the effects now, but in the next two to three months, it will reflect.
“We need to sit with the government to look at what to do. We need to make sure we grow more. It is about food security.”
