By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of worsening Nigeria’s food security crisis, following a report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) indicating that more than 17 million Nigerians are facing acute hunger.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party described the situation as a “government-created humanitarian disaster,” blaming what it called policy failures, worsening insecurity, and rising food inflation under the current administration.
According to the WFP, over 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are experiencing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
The report noted that the figure has risen by nearly two million from previous projections, with more than three million people in Borno State alone facing acute hunger. The combined number of food-insecure people in Borno State, Adamawa State, and Yobe State now stands at 6.2 million.
The ADC said the findings validate concerns repeatedly raised about the country’s deteriorating security and economic conditions, arguing that attacks on farming communities, widespread displacement, and declining agricultural production have significantly reduced food availability while inflation has pushed basic food items beyond the reach of millions of households.
The party also criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis, alleging that official responses have failed to reflect the severity of the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians.
Presenting its alternative approach, the ADC said its manifesto prioritises food security through measures such as improving support for smallholder farmers, expanding irrigation by rehabilitating 264 abandoned dams, investing in agricultural infrastructure, strengthening strategic grain reserves, and integrating food security into the country’s national security agenda.
The opposition party maintained that Nigeria’s food crisis requires a coordinated national response involving all levels of government, insisting that sustainable agricultural development and improved security remain critical to reversing the country’s growing hunger challenge.