By John Azu
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, has warned that Nigeria’s worsening food crisis will deepen unless the country is led by leaders who place the welfare of citizens above politics and prestige projects.
Obi was reacting to the latest warning by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) that more than 17 million people across nine northern states face crisis-level hunger, with over 35 million Nigerians projected to experience food insecurity during the current lean season.
In a statement posted on his X handle and made available through the Peter Obi Media Room, Obi described the situation as a national tragedy that should never have occurred in a country blessed with vast agricultural resources.
“The recent report from the UN about the impending food crisis in northern Nigeria is disheartening, more so because it is avoidable. Northern Nigeria is the nation’s food basket, and nothing short of incompetent and irresponsible leadership could have created this tragedy,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor urged federal and state governments to move beyond political rhetoric by making deliberate investments in agriculture, improving security and strengthening partnerships to avert a humanitarian disaster.
He called on governments at all levels to secure farming communities, provide accessible support for small holder farmers and work closely with international partners, including the World Food Programme, to close funding gaps before the crisis worsens.
Obi maintained that the country possesses the capacity to eliminate hunger if leaders demonstrate the political will to pursue policies that prioritise production and the welfare of citizens.
“A prosperous Nigeria, free from hunger, is achievable, but it requires leadership that prioritises the welfare of its citizens,” he added.
Expressing concern over the scale of the unfolding crisis, Obi said the latest UN report paints a grim picture of food insecurity across the country.
“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.
“The fact that over 10,000 residents of Borno State have entered ‘catastrophic’ hunger conditions represents not only immense human suffering but also a profound national failure. Nigeria should not rank among the world’s hungriest nations, given its abundant resources, particularly the vast stretches of fertile, uncultivated land in the North,” he stressed.
Obi attributed the worsening food crisis to persistent insecurity, which he said has prevented farmers from cultivating their land and displaced thousands of agrarian communities.
“This food crisis stems from two critical structural failures: insecurity and farmers’ inability to access their lands. Banditry and insurgency have turned agrarian communities into displacement zones. Until we secure our agricultural areas, we cannot secure our future,” Obi wrote.
He argued that successive governments have relied on short-term interventions instead of addressing the structural constraints limiting agricultural productivity.
“Our global hunger ranking continues to worsen because of our proclivity for adopting superficial measures that do little to boost agricultural productivity or transform rural infrastructure. We need to adopt policies that address the structural barriers to agricultural productivity and transform our land resources into agro-industrial output. We can overcome hunger and poverty if we urgently shift our focus from consumption to production,” he argued.
Obi further urged the country’s leaders to redirect national priorities towards food production, rural development and economic empowerment, insisting that such measures would deliver more lasting benefits than projects driven by political considerations.
“A new Nigeria, devoid of hunger and mass poverty – a Nigeria where we transform our arable land into productive acreage – remains attainable, but it demands leadership that values the lives and livelihoods of the Nigerian people above grandiose road dualisation projects,” he added.