Connect with us

News

Hunger Hits Over 27 Million People as West Africa Faces it’s Worst Food Crises

Published

4 years ago

on

 

By Bashir Hassan Abubakar

West Africa is hit by its worst food crisis in a decade, with 27 million people going hungry. This number could rise to 38 million this June – a new historic level and already an increase by more than a third over last year- unless urgent action is taken.

This alert was contained in a press statement issued by eleven international organizations in response to new analyses of the March 2022 Cadre Harmonisé (CH), ahead of the virtual conference on the food and nutrition crisis in the Sahel and Lake Chad organized by the European Union and the Sahel and West Africa Club.

Over the past decade, far from abating, food crises have been increasing across the West African region, including in Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Mali, and Nigeria. Between 2015 and 2022, the number of people in need of emergency food assistance nearly quadrupled, from 7 to 27 million.

An Insight: The Impact of Covid-19 on Street hawkers, Case Study Of Kano State

“Cereal production in some parts of the Sahel has dropped by about a third compared to last year. Family food supplies are running out. Drought, floods, conflict, and the economic impacts of COVID-19 have forced millions of people off their land, pushing them to the brink” says Assalama Dawalack Sidi, Oxfam’s regional director for West and Central Africa

“The situation is forcing hundreds of thousands of people to move to different communities and to live with host families who are already living in difficult conditions themselves. 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,” said Philippe Adapoe, Save the Children’s director for West and Central Africa.

Malnutrition is steadily increasing in the Sahel. The United Nations estimated that 6.3 million children aged 6-59 months will be acutely malnourished this year – including more than 1.4 million children in the severe acute malnutrition phase – compared to 4.9 million acutely malnourished children in 2021.

Advert

“I had almost no milk left so I gave my baby other food. He often refused to take it and lost weight. In addition he had diarrhea, which worsened his condition,” said Safiatou, a mother who had to flee her village because of the violence in Burkina Faso.

In addition to conflict and insecurity, pockets of drought and poor rainfall distribution have reduced communities’ food sources, especially in the Central Sahel. To make up for the gap, many families are selling their assets, jeopardizing their productive capacity and the future of their children. Young girls may be forced into early marriage and other forms of gender-based violence may increase as food becomes scarcer.

“The rains were scarce. There is no more food. With the lack of grazing, the sheep are getting thinner and this forces us to sell them at a loss. I used to have twelve sheep, but now I only have one left”, explains Ramata Sanfo, a herder from Burkina Faso. “I would like to have my cattle back so that I have enough money and my children can go back to school.”

Food prices have increased by 20-30 percent over the past five years in West Africa. While food reserves are dwindling in the Sahel, the crisis in Ukraine is making the situation dangerously worse. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, food prices could rise by another 20 percent worldwide, an unbearable increase for already fragile populations. In addition, the crisis is likely to cause a significant decrease in wheat availability for six West African countries that import at least 30 percent, and in some cases more than 50 percent, of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

Another likely effect of the crisis in Europe is a sharp drop in international aid to Africa. Many donors have already indicated that they may make cuts in their funding to Africa. For example, Denmark has announced that it will postpone part of its bilateral development assistance to Burkina Faso (50 per cent in 2022) and to Mali (40 percent in 2022) rather than fund the reception of people who have fled their homes in Ukraine with new money.

“There should be no competition between humanitarian crises,” says Mamadou Diop, regional representative of Action Against Hunger. “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.”

Humanitarian organizations are urging governments and donors not to repeat the failures of 2021, when only 48 percent of the humanitarian response plan in West Africa was funded. They must immediately close the $4 billion funding gap in the UN appeal for West Africa to save lives and ensure that these funds support age-, gender-, and disability-sensitive interventions. No one should be left behind.

“The conference on the Sahel crisis scheduled for tomorrow is a unique opportunity to mobilize the necessary emergency food and nutrition assistance and to prove that the lives of people in Africa are not worth less than those in Europe,” says Assalama Dawalack Sidi.

Our correspondent reports that the eleven international organizations participating in this press release are Oxfam, Action Against Hunger, Save the Children, CARE International, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), Tearfund, World Vision (WV), Handicap International – Humanité & Inclusion and Mercy Corps.”

Related Topics:

News

Obi Accepts NDC Ticket, Pledges to Raise Nigeria’s Power Generation to 10,000MW in Four Years

Published

15 hours ago

on

May 30, 2026

By

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Coalition, Peter Obi on Saturday formally accepted his nomination and unveiled an ambitious reform agenda aimed at confronting Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, economic stagnation and infrastructure deficit, including a pledge to raise electricity generation to 10,000 megawatts within four years.

Obi made the pledge in his acceptance speech delivered in Abuja after emerging as the party’s flag bearer, where he expressed gratitude to party leaders and delegates for what he described as their confidence in his leadership capacity.

“It is with deep humility that I accept the role of presidential candidate for our party. I express my profound gratitude to the leaders of our party, His Excellency Seriake Dickson, the National Chairman, National Secretary and the National Working Committee members of our relentless supporters, and the Nigerian populace who have steadfastly kept the spirit of hope alive,” he said.

He said Nigeria was currently at a difficult crossroads marked by insecurity, economic hardship and declining public confidence in governance.

According to him, the situation had created widespread disillusionment across communities and businesses, though he insisted that the country still had the capacity for recovery if leadership choices improved.

“Businesses are struggling, communities are suffering, and an alarming number of citizens have lost faith in the very concept of governance.

“Yet, I stand before you filled with optimism and strong faith in the resilience of our people, for I firmly believe that a New Nigeria is possible,” he said.

Advert

Obi stressed that Nigeria’s diversity should be seen as a strength rather than a fault line, warning against deepening ethnic, religious and regional divisions.

Turning to insecurity, the NDC presidential candidate said Nigeria’s security challenges had deteriorated significantly in recent years, citing global rankings that placed the country among the worst affected by terrorism.

He said, “In terms of security, the situation in Nigeria has considerably worsened. The global terrorism impact assessments ranked Nigeria as the 8th most affected nation in 2022, 6th in 2024, and 4th in 2026.”

However, he contrasted the current situation with Nigeria’s historical role in international peacekeeping missions, where its military once enjoyed global respect.

The former governor referenced Nigeria’s contributions to global missions across several countries and praised the legacy of Nigerian military leadership in international operations.

Obi vowed that his administration would prioritise security reforms.

“We must address insecurity with resolve and urgency, for no nation can thrive while its citizens live in trepidation. The primary responsibility of government is to ensure the safeguarding of lives and property,” he said.

He promised an intelligence-driven and technology-supported security framework aimed at tackling both immediate threats and underlying causes such as poverty and unemployment.

On health, Obi decried Nigeria’s poor indicators, particularly infant mortality and low health insurance penetration, promising major reforms.

“Nigeria suffers from one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Furthermore, health insurance coverage in Nigeria hovers around a mere 10 per cent, in stark contrast to countries like Indonesia, which boast over 90 per cent coverage.

“This situation is regrettable. I pledge that within four years, our health insurance coverage will more than double to over 20 per cent,” he said.

On energy, Obi described Nigeria’s electricity crisis as a major constraint to development, noting the gap between Nigeria and other comparable economies.

“Nigeria today is the nation with the highest number of citizens lacking access to electricity globally. We currently generate and distribute a mere 4,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity for a population exceeding 200 million,” he said.

He compared Nigeria’s output with that of other countries to underline the scale of the challenge.

Obi then made a major campaign promise.

“Over the next four years, I commit to ensuring a minimum of 10,000 MW power increase generation and distribution,” he said.

Continue Reading

News

Kano Civil Servants Hail Governor Yusuf Over N20,000 Sallah Support Package

Published

19 hours ago

on

May 30, 2026

By

 

The Joint Public Service Negotiation Council (JNC) in Kano State has commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for approving the payment of a N20,000 Sallah Support Package to state civil servants on Grade Levels 01–14 ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of the JNC Kano State Council, Comrade Hashim A. Saleh, expressed appreciation to the state government for the gesture, describing it as a timely intervention aimed at easing the financial burden on workers during the festive period.

The council extended its felicitations to Governor Yusuf, the Secretary to the State Government, the Head of Civil Service, and the entire workforce in Kano State on the occasion of the Eid-el-Adha celebration.

According to the statement, the approval of the support package demonstrates the administration’s commitment to the welfare of civil servants and its recognition of their contributions to the development of the state.

Advert

“The Joint Public Service Negotiation Council wishes to express its deepest appreciation to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, for graciously approving the payment of N20,000 as a Sallah Support Package to state civil servants on Grade Levels 01–14,” the statement said.

The council also offered prayers for the continued success of the administration, seeking divine guidance and support for the Kano State Government and the nation as a whole.

The JNC reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a cordial working relationship with the government through sustained engagement on issues affecting workers and the public service.

It further called on civil servants across the state to reciprocate the government’s goodwill by remaining dedicated, productive, and committed to the delivery of efficient public services.

The statement noted that a vibrant and effective civil service remains critical to achieving the development objectives of the state government and improving service delivery to citizens.

The message was signed by the Public Relations Officer of the JNC Kano State Council, Comrade Haladu Musa.This version is written in a newspaper style suitable for publication in print, online news platforms, or official government media channels.

Continue Reading

News

Kwara Governor Urges Tinubu to Raise Minimum Wage to N100,000

Published

24 hours ago

on

May 30, 2026

By

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has called on President Bola Tinubu to consider increasing the national minimum wage from N70,000 to N100,000.

AbdulRazaq, who also serves as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), made the appeal while commending the President’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy—a move he described as courageous and politically difficult.

“Only one percent of politicians can make that tough call,” the governor said.

Speaking on the initial response to the subsidy removal, AbdulRazaq revealed that state governments had anticipated widespread protests. He said governors mobilised security agencies in preparation for possible public backlash.

Advert

“We were expecting serious riots, because there were #EndBadGovernance protests even before then, and for lesser issues,” he explained. “We spent money and mobilised security agencies to secure the states. But on that day, nothing happened. No riot, no protest anywhere. I think the nation was shocked by the audacity of Mr. President to implement that serious policy.”

According to the governor, the removal has since yielded significant benefits. He noted that states are no longer borrowing money or issuing bonds to cover salaries and project costs.

“Today, in my own state, after paying salaries from our FAAC allocation, we are left with N100 or N200 million,” AbdulRazaq said.

He added that most states are already paying a minimum wage of N100,000—exceeding the current national statutory minimum of N70,000.

“I urge Your Excellency, let’s have a discussion on moving the minimum wage to a minimum of N100,000,” he said. “We know we will get support from you as we go ahead to implement that.”

President Tinubu had approved the increase of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 in June 2024 after signing the national minimum wage legislation into law. The law mandates a review of the wage every three years. The previous N30,000 minimum wage was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

Continue Reading

Trending