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Nigeria, Other West African Countries Facing Worst Food Crisis in 10 Years, Aid Groups Say
By Derrick Bangura
International aid agencies on Tuesday raised the alarm that the West African sub-region was currently facing its worst food crisis in a decade, with 27 million people currently going hungry.
In a damning statement, 11 major international organisations including Oxfam, ALIMA and Save the Children, among others, warned that the figure could even rise to 38 million by June.
The global aid groups warned that unless urgent action is taken, the increase would mark “a new historic level” and an increase by more than a third during last year.
The alert came a day ahead of a virtual conference on the food and nutrition crisis in the Sahel and Lake Chad.
A recent report jointly anchored by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) had also warned that acute food insecurity was likely to deteriorate further in Nigeria and 19 other countries, particularly between February and May 2022.
The reality of hunger is also increasingly manifesting across parts of the continent. President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina estimates that about 250 million Africans live on an empty stomach daily.
According to him, hunger has become a way of life on the continent, adding that food systems across the continent were failing to deliver diets that are healthy, affordable, secure and safe for vast swathes of its population.
Since 2015, the number of people in need of emergency food assistance in the West African sub-region – which includes Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Mali, and Nigeria – has nearly quadrupled, jumping from seven to 27 million.
Oxfam’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Assalama Dawalack Sidi said the situation had been worsened by drought, floods, conflict, and the economic impacts of COVID-19, which have displaced millions and is “pushing them to the brink.”
“There is not enough food, let alone food that is nutritious enough for children. We must help them urgently because their health, their future and even their lives are at risk,” stressed Save the Children’s Director for West and Central Africa, Philippe Adapoe.
The United Nations has estimated that 6.3 million children aged 6-59 months will be acutely malnourished this year, an increase of almost 30 per cent from 2021.
With food increasingly scarce, families’ food sources, especially in the central Sahel, and families increasingly being forced to sell their assets, further jeopardising their productive capacity and the future of their children.
To add to the already dire situation, experts have predicted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could push food prices up to 20 per cent worldwide, “an unbearable increase for an already fragile population”.
The conflict will likely significantly reduce the availability of wheat in the six West African countries, which import at least a third or even as much as half of their consumption volumes from the conflicting countries.
While the crisis has shown no sign of abating during the past decade, international donations are drastically reducing. Last year, the humanitarian response plan for West Africa failed to reach half of its scope.
“The Sahel crisis is one of the worst humanitarian crises on a global scale and, at the same time, one of the least funded. “We fear that by redirecting humanitarian budgets to the Ukrainian crisis, we risk dangerously aggravating one crisis to respond to another,” said Mamadou Diop, the regional representative of Action Against Hunger.
According to the statement, Denmark has announced that it will postpone about half of its entire bilateral development assistance to Burkina Faso and Mali this year, in order to fund the reception of people displaced from Ukraine.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), says a comprehensive investigation is in progress to ascertain the veracity of reports of loss of civilian lives in the course of recent airstrikes in Zamfara.
The Director, Public Relations and Information of NAF, AVM Olusola Akinboyewa, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Akinboyewa said that the NAF dealt a decisive blow to bandits terrorising villages in the area in recent airstrikes at Tungar Kara in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.
“The operation successfully eliminated several bandits and led to the recovery of some kidnap victims, the NAF viewed with grave concern reports of the loss of civilian lives in the course of the operation.
“As a responsible and professional custodian of airpower for the security of the nation, the NAF believes in the absolute value of the life of every Nigerian.
“Accordingly, a comprehensive investigation is in progress, to ascertain the veracity of the reports, the outcome of which will be duly communicated to inform and re-assure the public.
“Please rest assured that, while our mission in the North West remains to combat banditry and restore peace, the safety and well-being of all Nigerians are of utmost importance.
“We will therefore work closely with all relevant authorities to unravel the facts and take appropriate steps, as part of our unwavering commitment to prevent, minimise and mitigate any harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure in the course of our operations,” he said.
The Federal Government has approved four airlines as official air carriers to transport intending pilgrims for the 2025 hajj pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Executive Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Usman, made this known in a statement by the commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Mrs Fatima Usara, on Sunday in Abuja.
Usman explained that the four airlines were selected out of the 11 companies that submitted applications to transport Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Muslims pilgrimage.
According to Usman, the four approved airlines are Air Peace Ltd., Fly-Nas, a Saudi Arabia designated airline, Max Air, and UMZA Aviation Services Ltd.
The NAHCON boss stated that the airlines were screened and shortlisted by a team of 32 members that were inaugurated by the NAHCON on Nov. 26, 2024.
He said that the composition of the Aviation Screening Committee included representatives from State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, three members from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and one member each from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
He also said that some members of the committee were drawn from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Similarly, Prof. Usman said that one member each was drawn from Nigerian Customs’ Service (NCS) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
Others, he listed, were NAHCON Board members representing each geo-political zone of the country, NAHCON Heads of Aviation, Procurement, Legal, Internal Audit, and Special Duties as well as Board Member representing the Aviation industry.
The NAHCON boss also disclosed that three excess cargo carriers were selected for the hajj operations.
He named them to include; Aglow Aviation Support Services Ltd, Cargozeal Technology Ltd and Qualla Investment Ltd.,
The Chairman, who congratulated the successful companies, urged them to fulfil their responsibilities as promised during the screening.
Meanwhile, Prof. Usman signed the 2025 Hajj Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on behalf of the Nigerian Government.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was represented by the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Abdulfatah Masahat, at the signing ceremony.
The event was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to formalise this year’s Hajj engagements.
Some health stakeholders have said that Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), which serve as the backbone of the country’s healthcare system, are in dire need of revitalisation.
The stakeholder said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, (more…)
NAF investigates reports of vigilante losses in Zamfara airstrikes–official
FG approves 4 airlines for 2025 hajj operation – NAHCON Chair
Nigeria’s primary healthcare centres in need of urgent revitalisation – Stakeholders
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