Nigeria

Summary of needs

The Cadre Harmonisé (CH) results published in November 2024¹ projects an increase of food-insecure people (CH Phase 3 and above) from 4.8 million in 2024 to 5.1 million (+ 8 per cent) in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states (BAY States) during the lean season 2025. Most of food-insecure people lives in Yobe and Borno State (36 and 35 per cent respectively), while Adamawa registered 29 per cent. Moreover, around 450,000 people will face emergency levels of food insecurity (CH Phase 4) and are just a step away from catastrophic levels of hunger.

Food systems in northeast Nigeria face significant constraints, largely driven by insecurity, climate change, economic crisis, and poor infrastructure. The ongoing conflict with insurgent groups has displaced millions of people, disrupting agriculture and local food production. Farmers struggle with land abandonment, loss of livelihoods, and limited access to markets stifled by raising inflation at 34 per cent in October 2024². Poor infrastructure, including roads, storage facilities, and irrigation systems, hinders food distribution and increases post-harvest losses. Skyrocketing food prices has eroded consumers purchasing power. Limited access to finance and agricultural extension services further impedes productivity. Additionally, climate change exacerbates the region's challenges, causing erratic rainfall, droughts, and desertification, which affect crop yields and livestock health.

In September 2024, North-East Nigeria has faced devastating floods with terrific impacts in riverine areas where at least 177,500³ hectares of cropland were inundated affecting the agriculture-oriented livelihoods of over 500,000 people⁴. In the same period, the food Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket increased by about 46 per cent compared to March 2024. FAO Data in Emergencies (DIEM)⁵ indicates that 39 per cent of the households interviewed in the Bay States reported an income decreased compared to the previous year. In addition, the persistent conflict also limited access to energy and fuel, which still poses protection risks that threaten women, girls, boys, and men who collect firewood for cooking and sale.

As a result, food insecurity remains high, with many relying on food and emergency agriculture assistance largely provided by humanitarian organizations. The planned food assistance and emergency agricultural support to food-insecure population in the BAY states for 2024 had a gap of approximately 1,125,000 and 1,550,000 people not assisted respectively because of lack of funding. Of the US$ 340 million required, the unmet funding needs for the FSS in 2024 total approximately US$ 179 million.

Response strategy

FSS strategy for the 2025 HNRP is closely linked to existing FSS strategies for Adamawa⁶, Borno⁷, and Yobe⁸ Sates for the period 2024-2026 and to Government’s policies aimed at ensuring food security and durable solutions.

Food Security Sector partners will deliver food assistance—either in-kind or through cash-based transfers—to the most vulnerable groups, including IDPs, returnees, and host communities. Assistance will target LGAs classified in CH Phase 3 and above, considering factors such as market accessibility, overall access in hard-to-reach areas, and infrastructural limitations.

Time-sensitive emergency agricultural support will be provided to households with access to land, enabling them to gradually reduce dependence on food aid. This approach also considers potential constraints caused by insecurity, particularly in Borno. Additionally, the FSS is committed to implementing anticipatory actions, which include short-term disaster risk management interventions carried out during the critical period between an early-warning trigger and the onset of extreme weather events. These actions aim to protect vulnerable populations and their agriculture-based livelihoods from potential hazards.

The Sector will prepare for lean season scale-up efforts by identifying key locations and coordinating with relevant partners in advance. This ensures timely delivery of preparedness measures and strategic positioning of contingency resources.

The FSS strategy is centered around three core macro-activities:
1. Providing food assistance (in-kind or cash-based transfers), including items to ensure safe access to fuel and energy (SAFE).
2. Distributing time-sensitive emergency agricultural inputs.
3. Implementing preparedness measures and anticipatory actions to mitigate the effects of extreme weather events, particularly floods.

Additionally, the FSS strategy emphasizes capacity-building and training workshops for local actors such as government agencies and local NGOs. These initiatives aim to enhance FSS coordination and integrate cross-sectoral aspects of humanitarian interventions, including protection, PSEA, and CE/AAP.

Coordination with non-HNRP actors—such as government bodies, development organizations, and the ICRC—will be crucial to avoid overlaps, optimize resource use, and establish connections with long-term development programs.

Targeting & prioritization

The number of People in Need (PiN) is determined based on the latest CH results and reflects the classification of LGAs in CH Phase 3 and above. The initial FSS target is refined by considering trends from the previous year’s assistance, the funding received at the sector level, and the prior year’s ratio between PiN and the target population.

To finalize the FSS target for food assistance, a prioritization process is conducted. This involves developing a composite score based on key vulnerability indicators at the LGA level, such as the percentage of the population in CH Phase 3 and 4, displaced populations (based on IOM DTM data), and populations in IPC Nutrition Phase 3 and above. In 2024, the FSS produced specific guidelines to assist partners with targeting, including targeting guidance for food assistance⁹ and prioritization maps¹⁰. In 2025, the same targeting guidelines will be updated.

The population in LGAs receiving time-sensitive emergency agricultural inputs will be determined in early 2025 after analyzing data related to land access. Target areas for preparedness and anticipatory action are identified through intersectoral discussions, taking into account recent precipitation trends using FloodScan’s latest analysis.

Additionally, the FSS will organize workshops with partners and government authorities in early 2025 to refine prioritization strategies aligned with the three FSS Strategic Objectives outlined for the 2025 HNRP.

Promoting accountable, quality & inclusive programming

FSS partners will prioritize delivering interventions that are safe and respectful, while promoting awareness of beneficiary rights, program goals, and proposed activities. This will be achieved through communication-driven participatory planning and needs assessments that encourage active engagement.

The FSS is committed to addressing the distinct needs of vulnerable groups, including men, women, boys, and girls. To ensure inclusivity and responsiveness, diverse groups within the affected population will be consulted and actively involved in planning and implementing the response. FSS partners will work closely with community committees, aiming for 50% female participation and encouraging women to take on leadership roles. Furthermore, HNRP indicators for FSS are disaggregated by age and gender to facilitate effective monitoring and reporting of partners’ efforts.

Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM) will be established in targeted areas to identify potential aid diversions and enhance program quality at the field level. Regular sensitization sessions on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) will also be conducted during field activities.

The FSS will collaborate with the Protection Sector (including its Areas of Responsibility, AOR), the CCCM Sector, and other relevant working groups (such as CE/APP) to establish referral pathways. This collaboration aims to address the specific needs of various population groups, leveraging services provided by specialized government agencies, UN agencies, and national and international NGOs at the field level.

Cost of response

In 2025, the Food Security Sector (FSS) requires US$362 million to support 2.8 million people in need of food assistance, 2.3 million people needing urgent agricultural inputs, and 105,000 people requiring preparedness and anticipatory measures. This funding estimate is based on activity-based costing, aligned with the projected number of beneficiaries in targeted Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States.

The funding breakdown includes approximately US$282 million for food assistance, US$70 million for emergency agricultural support, and US$10 million for anticipatory actions. The estimated cost for food assistance represents a 3 percent reduction compared to the previous year, despite serving the same number of beneficiaries. This reflects the efforts of partners to improve cost-efficiency in FSS operations.

In contrast, the funding requirement for emergency agricultural support has increased by 40 percent compared to last year. This rise is due to the country’s inflation rate of 33 percent and an 8 percent increase in the number of food-insecure people who need sustainable, agriculture-based solutions. These measures aim to reduce dependence on food aid, particularly in regions where access to farmland is available.