Does Nigeria have the second-highest rate of food insecurity on Earth?

Claim: In an interview with selected journalists on the sidelines of the 2024 NutriVision Dialogue in Abuja, Bill Gates claimed that Nigeria has the second-highest rate of food insecurity in the world and that climate change has been accelerating the problem.

He explained that food insecurity is why the country receives the largest share of intervention funds allocated by his foundation in Africa.

He stated, “Nigeria today has the second-highest rate of food insecurity on Earth, and climate change is only accelerating the problem. Arable land has disappeared, pests have wiped out harvests, and prices for staple foods have soared. Climate-related losses on many African farms are more than double those seen globally.

“The poorest farmers are the hardest hit, having to cope with more droughts, pests, and diseases, which in turn exacerbate food shortages and push up food prices. We’ve been working with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to better understand the climate-induced hunger crisis.”

Findings:

William Henry Gates, popularly known as Bill Gates, is an American business magnate and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He also co-founded the software company, Microsoft, and is said to be worth $137bn, according to Forbes (2024).

The Microsoft boss arrived in Nigeria on Monday as part of a broader push by the foundation to support development initiatives across Africa.

He attended the National Economic Council meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chambers of the State House, on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the foundation, the visit aimed to bolster efforts in key sectors such as health, agriculture, and nutrition.

Science Direct defines food insecurity as the persistent concern about access to sufficient and affordable food at all times, which can lead to an increase in food poverty and malnutrition in communities with low standards of living.

The 2024 Global Report on Food Crises, published recently by the Food Security Information Network, defines a food crisis as a situation where acute food insecurity requires urgent action to protect and save lives and livelihoods at local or national levels, exceeding the local resources and capacities to respond.

According to the report, acute food insecurity refers to a situation where populations face food deprivation that threatens their lives or livelihoods, regardless of the causes, context, or duration.

The GRFC is the reference document for a comprehensive analysis of global, regional, and country-level acute food insecurity.

It is a collaborative report put together by 16 partners, including the European Union, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Global Food Security Cluster, and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, among others.

The report, which aims to inform humanitarian and development action by providing independent, consensus-based evidence and analysis, focuses on acute food insecurity in countries experiencing food crises. It is part of an annual suite of products, including regional reports.

Over 281.6 million people across 59 countries face acute food insecurity globally, says the GRFC, and about 158 million of them reside in Africa.

The report revealed that 24.9 million people are affected by high food insecurity in Nigeria, and the country ranks second among the 59 countries listed, coming behind only the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has 25.8 million food-insecure people.

The report identified the three major drivers of food insecurity worldwide as – conflict/insecurity, extreme weather, and economic shocks.

In July, the United Nations predicted that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, urging the government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity.

The prediction comes in the wake of a persistent hike in food prices in the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s food inflation rate hit a record high of 40.66 per cent in May 2024, surpassing the previous month’s 40.53 per cent increase.

The surge represents the largest year-on-year increase in food prices since records began in 1996.

Speaking at the launch of CropWatch in Abuja in July, the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator of the FAO, represented by one of the UN officials, Taofiq Braimoh, said, “The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducts an annual food security survey. This year’s results are alarming: approximately 22 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2023, and around 80-82 million are at risk of severe food insecurity by 2030.

“Nigeria, like many countries, grapples with food insecurity, climate change, unreliable water patterns, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity. As an agrarian society, the success of our farms directly impacts food availability for our population. Leveraging technology is crucial to strengthening our agriculture sector and ensuring food security.”

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, widespread flooding during the 2022 rainy season damaged more than 676,000 hectares of farmland, diminishing harvests and increasing the risk of food insecurity for families across the country.

In an interview with Sunday According, agricultural economist, Tobi Awolope, from the Centre for Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said it is possible that Nigeria has risen to second on the global food insecurity chart due to its widespread climate change and insecurity-induced food crisis.

She said, “In a report published some years back, Nigeria was ranked 10th in the world. However, due to climate change issues, which have caused a hike in food prices, the country has apparently climbed up the ladder among the countries battling food insecurity.

“Even the four pillars of food security (food availability, utilisation, accessibility, and stability) are currently defaulting in the country. That’s partly due to supply chain bottlenecks and inflation, which have caused an increase in the price of food items. So, the situation in Nigeria has worsened.

“When it comes to the effect of climate change, we are highly vulnerable because of our low adaptive capacity. In terms of irrigation, our farmers are not well-equipped, and most of them cannot access feeds because they are very expensive. I believe these are some of the factors that have increased the rate of food insecurity in Nigeria. So, I think the country has likely risen to second on the global food insecurity chart.”

Verdict: The claim is true