Peter Obi calls for government action on northern hunger

Former Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has called for urgent government action to address a severe and worsening food crisis in northern Nigeria, following a stark United Nations assessment. In a statement posted on his social media account on Saturday, July 4, Obi described the situation as a preventable national failure, driven by insecurity and poor policy implementation.

The World Food Programme's latest report indicates that more than 17 million people across nine northern states are facing crisis-level hunger, with over 35 million Nigerians nationwide at risk during the current lean season. The situation is particularly acute in Borno State, where humanitarian agencies classify over 10,000 residents as experiencing catastrophic hunger conditions. Obi noted that northern Nigeria, traditionally the country's primary food-producing region, is experiencing its most severe hunger crisis in nearly a decade.

He attributed the crisis largely to insecurity, including banditry and insurgency, which has displaced farmers and prevented access to farmlands, turning agricultural communities into zones of displacement. Obi argued that Nigeria possesses the resources and...