Abuja: The United Nations (UN) has highlighted an impending hunger crisis in northern Nigeria, describing it as “unprecedented.” Analysts estimate that at least 5 million children are already suffering from acute malnutrition in the region, which has traditionally been Nigeria’s agricultural hub, producing crops like maize, millet, and sorghum.

According to Deutsche Welle, over one million people in northeastern Nigeria, including Borno State, are believed to be facing hunger. Margot van der Velden, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Western Africa Regional Director, has reported that nearly 31 million Nigerians are experiencing acute food insecurity and are in dire need of life-saving food. Meanwhile, funds for West and Central Africa are diminishing.

Samuel Malik, a senior researcher at Good Governance Africa, a pan-African think-tank, told Deutsche Welle that the core issue lies in poor governance and ongoing insecurity, not just in the reduction of aid. Malik emphasized that while aid plays a crucial role in addressing severe food insecurity, it was never intended to be a long-term or comprehensive solution.

Residents in rural areas have been forced to flee due to insecurity, seeking refuge in places like the Ramin Kura displacement camp in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria. Umaimah Abubakar, a 40-year-old from Ranganda village, shared her experience of relocating to the camp after bandits killed her husband and stole her in-laws’ livestock. Abubakar explained that their community tried to protect themselves by recruiting vigilantes, but farming remains nearly impossible due to frequent attacks.

In Borno State, the town of Gurnowa, near the military-fortified Monguno, has been deserted for years following jihadist attacks. Tens of thousands of internally displaced people are living under military protection in makeshift camps, having fled their homes to escape violence that has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced more than two million in the last 16 years.

Malik further explained that the persistent crisis is driven by the Nigerian state’s failure to provide security and basic governance, making it difficult for displaced persons to return to their farmlands. This lack of safety prevents them from accessing their primary means of livelihood, exacerbating the hunger crisis.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has urged displaced persons to return to their farms to grow food during the rainy season. However, aid agencies remain concerned about the risk of jihadist violence. Some displaced individuals have even considered joining Boko Haram due to the dire conditions, despite government promises of support for those leaving jihadist groups.

In Sokoto’s Ramin Kura camp, 19-year-old Shaafa Usman recounted how her community’s attempts to farm were thwarted by kidnappings. Farming can only be done with security escorts or vigilantes, as her husband remains captive after being kidnapped from Turba village.

Malik pointed out that farming still occurs in jihadist-controlled areas under coercive arrangements. Rural Nigerians face violent consequences if they cannot pay for access to their fields. Bandits demand levies and forced labor, turning villagers’ lands into means for sustaining armed groups.

Jihadist groups have managed to create subsistence farming to support themselves, supplemented by raiding and illegal income streams. Usman shared that many villagers avoid farming due to the high risk of kidnapping and the inability to afford ransom.