17 million Nigerians risk acute hunger by 2027- Report

At least 16.99 million Nigerians are projected to face acute food insecurity by January 2027, according to the latest Food Assistance Outlook Brief released by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).

The report projects that between 16.0 million and 16.99 million Nigerians will require urgent food assistance by January 2027, down from the current estimate of 20.0 million to 20.99 million in July 2026. However, the figure remains higher than the level recorded in January 2026 and above the country’s five-year average.

FEWS NET ranked Nigeria fourth globally among countries with the highest number of people facing acute hunger, behind Sudan, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and ahead of Yemen and Afghanistan.

Nigeria is also among four countries expected to account for more than 10 per cent of the estimated 145 million to 155 million people projected to require food assistance across the 30 countries monitored by the network by January 2027.

The report attributed Nigeria’s food crisis to conflict, economic hardship and adverse weather conditions, with insecurity in northern parts of the country continuing to disrupt farming activities, livelihoods and household incomes.

According to FEWS NET, although the main harvest expected to be completed by December will provide some relief, staple food prices are likely to remain high because of production and supply disruptions, coupled with heavy reliance on markets by conflict-affected households unable to cultivate.

The report warned that communities in the North-East affected by insecurity and movement restrictions would remain in the “Emergency” phase of food insecurity, the fourth of five classifications on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale, just one step below famine.

It explained that households in the Emergency phase face severe food consumption gaps, rising malnutrition and increased mortality, or survive only by selling productive assets needed for future livelihoods.

While the projected number of food-insecure Nigerians is lower than the July 2026 estimate, FEWS NET said the country’s hunger burden remains worse than both last year and the long-term average.

Globally, the report estimated that between 145 million and 155 million people across monitored countries will require urgent food assistance by January 2027.

It identified Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Mali and Chad as countries at risk of slipping into famine, the most severe level of food insecurity.

FEWS NET said its estimates include people already experiencing Crisis-level hunger or worse, as well as those who would face such conditions without humanitarian assistance.

The agency noted that while data confidence varies in some countries monitored remotely, Nigeria’s projections are based on direct in-country analysis.