File: Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over what he described as an avoidable food crisis ravaging northern Nigeria, following a fresh United Nations report showing that over 17 million people across nine states in the region are facing crisis-level hunger.
Obi, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, said the crisis, described by the World Food Programme as the worst in nearly a decade, was a consequence of what he called incompetent and irresponsible leadership, given that the North remains the country’s food basket.
He said more than 35 million Nigerians nationwide risked slipping into hunger during the ongoing lean season, adding that over 10,000 residents of Borno State had already entered what aid agencies classify as “catastrophic” hunger conditions.
“I am deeply troubled by the latest report from the UN’s World Food Programme, indicating that northern Nigeria is experiencing its most severe hunger crisis in nearly a decade. Over 17 million people in nine northern states face crisis-level hunger, with more than 35 million Nigerians nationwide at risk during this challenging season.
