Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Weekly Subject Experts’ Presentation was held at Hall C, TY Buratai Block, Abuja. The only presentations for the day was made by the Subject Experts on, West Africa and Gulf of Guinea.
The first presentation was made by Maj Gen OO Adeleke (Rtd) subject expert on West Africa And Gulf Of Guinea, his presentation Centred on how, Millions in Central Sahel and Nigeria at Risk of food Cuts as the World Food Programme Faces Severe Funding Crisis. Reliefweb reported in Darkar, Senegal on 7 Mar 2025 that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Central Sahel and Nigeria would halt in April 2025 without urgent funding. Relief web reported in Darkar, Senegal on 7 Mar 2025 that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Central Sahel and Nigeria would halt in April 2025 without urgent funding.
In April 2025, funding shortfalls will force WFP to suspend food and nutrition assistance for 2 million crisis-affected people, including Sudanese refugees in Chad, Malian refugees in Mauritania, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable food-insecure families in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. The UN food agency urgently requires US$ 620 million to ensure continued support to crisis-affected people across the Sahel and in Nigeria over the next six months. Margot van der Velden, WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa said, “The global shrinkage of foreign aid is posing a significant threat to our operations in Western Africa, especially in Central Sahel and Nigeria”. She stated further that “the world must step up support to prevent this situation from getting out of control”.
In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria Maj Gen OO Adeleke (Rtd) noted that, in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria and other partners, WFP is implementing livelihoods programmes and income-generating activities. It give cash to people in the short term, while providing training so displaced people can acquire skills and employment. WFP supports to the Government of Nigeria in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition. This includes supporting policy development, providing technical assistance to Africa’s largest nationally owned home-grown school feeding. programme. WFP provides air transport to the entire humanitarian community, including helicopters to carry vital relief – vaccines, medicine, medical equipment and staff – to hard-to-reach, isolated areas. The World Food Programme (WFP) faces several challenges in Nigeria as it works to combat hunger and food insecurity this includes: Ongoing insurgency in the Northeast (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States) makes it difficult to reach vulnerable populations.
Armed groups in the Northwest and North Central regions also pose serious security threats, disrupting farming and food distribution. Over 3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), mostly in the Northeast, rely on food aid. WFP relies on donor funding, which fluctuates and often falls short of the needs.Despite these challenges, the WFP continues to provide food assistance, nutrition support, and livelihood programs. However, addressing Nigeria’s food crisis requires a combination of humanitarian aid, improved security, agricultural investments, and economic reforms.
Especially in April 2025, when funding shortfalls as well as the global shrinkage of foreign aid could force WFP to suspend food and nutrition assistance for 2 million crisis-affected people as earlier warned by the organization. Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture could revive its strategic grain reserves by ensuring that national food reserves are adequately stocked to respond to shortages.
He recommended that, the Federal Government of Nigeria should upscale its Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and Renewed Hope National Home Grown School Feeding Programme to support vulnerable populations during the anticipated lean season.
