Obi Calls for Urgent Action Following UN Warning on Northern Nigeria Hunger Crisis

Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called for immediate government intervention after the United Nations warned of a worsening food crisis across Northern Nigeria.

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, the former Anambra State governor described the situation as alarming, noting that the northern region has historically served as Nigeria’s agricultural backbone.

Obi said the growing humanitarian challenge requires stronger and more effective policy implementation from both federal and state governments.

He urged authorities to invest proactively in securing farming corridors and providing smallholder farmers with accessible support and resources.

The former governor also appealed for closer collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and development agencies to close funding gaps before conditions deteriorate further.

According to Obi, recent WFP findings revealed that more than 17 million people across nine northern states are already experiencing crisis-level hunger, while over 35 million Nigerians nationwide may face food insecurity during the current lean season.

He also referenced reports showing that more than 10,000 residents in Borno State have entered what aid organisations classify as “catastrophic hunger conditions.”

“Insecurity, including banditry and insurgency, has prevented many farmers from accessing their farmlands and remains a major obstacle to agricultural production,” he said.

Obi stressed the need for improved security across farming communities, alongside increased investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural productivity.

He further called on policymakers to prioritise production-focused economic strategies designed to increase cultivated land and strengthen agro-industrial output.

According to Obi, Nigeria has the agricultural potential and natural resources necessary to significantly cut hunger and poverty if the right leadership decisions are made.

He maintained that ending widespread hunger and poverty in Nigeria is achievable if leaders place citizens’ welfare and livelihoods at the centre of governance.

Africans Angle News