National Bureau of Statistics building
The National Bureau of Statistics has disclosed that 20.8 per cent of Nigerian households resorted to borrowing food or seeking help from friends and relatives to survive over the past 30 days.
This finding is contained in the General Household Survey-Panel Wave 5 (2023/2024), supported by the World Bank. It reveals the grim state of food insecurity across the country.
According to the report, 65.8 per cent of households were unable to afford healthy, nutritious, or preferred meals due to financial difficulties, while 63.8 per cent relied on a limited variety of foods.
A further 62.4 per cent of households admitted to being anxious about running out of food, with 60.5 per cent saying they ate less than they should.
Alarmingly, 12.3 per cent reported that at least, one member of their household went an entire day without food.
The report read: “Approximately two out of three households (65.8 per cent) reported being unable to eat healthy, nutritious, or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days. 63.8 per cent of households ate only a few kinds of food due to lack of money, 62.4 per cent were worried about not having enough food to eat, and 60.5 per cent ate less than they thought they should.
“Furthermore, 12.3 per cent reported that at least one person in the household went without eating for a whole day, and 20.8 per cent of households had to borrow food or rely on help from friends or relatives.”
The report highlights regional disparities, with households in Nigeria’s southern regions being the most affected.
In the South-South zone, more than 60 per cent of households skipped meals due to financial challenges, a figure notably higher than in the North-Central region.
Female-headed households also faced harsher realities, with 72.2 per cent unable to afford healthy meals compared to 64 per cent of male-headed households.
Also, 55.2 per cent of female-led households reported running out of food entirely, compared to 41.3 per cent of their male counterparts.
The NBS report indicates a steep increase in food insecurity levels since 2018.
The percentage of households expressing worry about food due to financial constraints has nearly doubled, rising from 36.9 per cent in Wave 4 to 62.4 per cent in Wave 5.
North-Central region recorded the largest jump, with concerns about food insecurity tripling from 16.2 per cent to 44.9 per cent.
The South-West zone also saw a significant rise from 46.7 per cent to 61.7 per cent.
Over the past year, 37 per cent of households experienced food shortages, with 61.6 per cent reporting challenges during the lean months of June, July, and August.
The North-East recorded the highest incidence of food shortages at 53 per cent, while the North-Central zone had the lowest rate at 25.7 per cent.
The report paints a bleak picture of the worsening food security situation in Nigeria, underlining the urgent need for effective interventions to address the growing nutritional and economic challenges faced by millions of households.
