The United Nations has warned that about 35 million Nigerians are at risk of acute hunger this year, including 3 million children facing severe malnutrition.
The announcement came on Thursday, January 22, during the launch of the 2026 humanitarian plan in Abuja. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall said the long-standing, foreign-led aid model in Nigeria is no longer sustainable and that the country’s humanitarian needs continue to grow.
Fall highlighted that conditions in the conflict-hit northeast remain dire, with civilians in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states facing escalating violence. A surge in suicide bombings and widespread attacks killed more than 4,000 people in the first eight months of 2025, equalling the total toll for all of 2023.
The UN said it can only provide $516 million in lifesaving aid this year, reaching 2.5 million people, down from 3.6 million in 2025, which itself was roughly half the previous year’s coverage. “These are not statistics. These numbers represent lives, futures, and Nigerians,” Fall stressed.
He also explained that the UN must now focus on “the most lifesaving” interventions due to the sharp drop in funding. Last year, the World Food Programme warned that millions could face hunger in Nigeria after it ran out of resources and had to cut support for over 300,000 children.
Despite these challenges, Fall noted that Nigeria is taking growing ownership of the crisis response through measures such as local funding for lean-season food support and early-warning action on flooding.
