Northern Nigeria is sliding deeper into a severe hunger emergency as renewed terrorist attacks and growing insecurity continue to disrupt farming, markets and humanitarian access. The World Food Programme has raised fresh alarms, warning that millions are now moving towards what it calls “famine-like conditions.”
In its latest update, the UN agency said nearly 35 million people across northern Nigeria are projected to face severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, the period between planting and harvest when households depend heavily on savings and food reserves.
The warning highlights the worsening humanitarian situation in Borno, the state that remains at the heart of the 16-year conflict with Boko Haram. According to the agency, about 15,000 people in Borno are expected to reach catastrophic hunger levels, placing them in the highest category of food insecurity.
The insurgency, which began in 2009, has claimed more than 40,000 lives and forced around two million residents to flee their homes. The violence has spilled into neighbouring countries, further complicating regional stability.
But the insecurity extends beyond the northeast. Armed groups commonly described as bandits continue to terrorise communities in the north-central and north-west regions through village raids, killings and mass abductions. Nigeria recorded three major kidnappings in a single week, including the abduction of over 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State, the kidnapping of 25 female students in Kebbi State, and the seizure of 38 worshippers during a church service in Kwara State.
Although the intensity of Boko Haram attacks reduced after 2015, the country has seen an increase in violent incidents this year. The UN agency attributes this rise to a combination of strengthened jihadist operations and overstretched security forces. These pressures have left many rural communities exposed and unable to farm safely.
The lean season from May to September is traditionally a difficult period for households, but Nigeria’s economic downturn has made it worse. The combination of double-digit inflation, reduced purchasing power and limited harvests means many families can no longer afford to buy basic food items.
The hunger crisis is being aggravated by sharp cuts in global humanitarian funding. The WFP disclosed that it has struggled with reduced financial support after the United States, one of its largest donors, scaled back foreign aid under President Donald Trump. Several European donors have also trimmed their humanitarian budgets.
Almost one million people in northeastern Nigeria rely on WFP food assistance. Because of funding gaps, the agency began reducing nutrition programmes in July. Out of 500 nutrition centres previously operating in the region, 150 were shut down, leaving more than 300,000 children exposed to heightened malnutrition. The agency said the situation deteriorated from “serious” to “critical” in the third quarter of the year.
Security risks have also intensified. The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked organisation, claimed responsibility for its first attack in Nigeria late last month, signalling a broader spread of extremist activities.
WFP’s representative in Nigeria, David Stevenson, warned that communities are reaching breaking point. “Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress,” he said. “Families are being pushed closer to the edge, and the need for support is rising.”
The country remains in the middle of a tough economic reform process under President Bola Tinubu. While international institutions such as the IMF have praised the reforms, Nigerians are grappling with sharply increased living costs, which deepen vulnerabilities in already fragile regions.
The WFP’s warning adds to growing fears that northern Nigeria could face one of its worst hunger emergencies in years unless security improves and funding for humanitarian operations is restored.
