Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Saturday expressed concerns over a recent United Nations warning about a worsening food crisis in Northern Nigeria, calling for urgent federal government intervention to prevent further deterioration.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra, in a post on his X account, described the situation as troubling, particularly because northern Nigeria has traditionally been regarded as the country’s food-producing region.

“Northern Nigeria is the nation’s food basket, and nothing short of incompetent and irresponsible leadership could have created this tragedy,” he said.

He maintained that a Nigeria free from widespread hunger and mass poverty remained achievable if leaders placed the welfare and livelihoods of citizens at the centre of national decision-making. 

“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 prices the lives and livelihoods of the Nigerian people above grandiose road dualisation projects,” the politician said.

Mr Obi urged the federal and state governments to make proactive investments to secureagricultural corridors and to support smallholder farmers with accessible resources.

He also called on governments to work closely with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and other development partners to bridge funding gaps before the crisis worsened.

According to him, the WFP’s latest assessment indicates that more than 17 million people across nine northern states are facing crisis-level hunger, while over 35 million Nigerians nationwide could be at risk during the current lean season.

He also cited reports that more than 10,000 residents of Borno had entered what humanitarian agencies classified as “catastrophic hunger conditions.”

“Insecurity, including banditry and insurgency, has prevented many farmers from accessing their farmlands and remains a major obstacle to agricultural production,” he said.

Mr Obi called for improved security in farming communities as well as increased investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural productivity.

He further urged policymakers to prioritise production-driven economic policies to expand cultivated land and increase agro-industrial output.

According to him, Nigeria possesses the resources and agricultural potential to substantially reduce hunger and poverty if theappropriate measures are implemented.

(NAN)