The World Bank has predicted that the persistent insecurity, armed conflict, and deteriorating livelihoods will continue to affect local government areas in Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara states, and the far north of Adamawa State in Nigeria until May 2024.
This is as it disclosed that poor macroeconomic conditions are restricting access to agricultural inputs in the country.
This is set to affect cereal production in the country, the global bank revealed this in its latest ‘Food Security Update.’
Estimated cereal production for the 2023/24 crop year is expected to be 76.5 million tons in West and Central Africa, which is a two per cent decrease from the previous season, but a three per cent rise from the average for the last five years.
Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria are expected to contribute the most to this decline.
While overall, most of the sub-region’s areas will remain in the minimally food insecure (category from November to May 2024, some areas are classified as stressed and some in crisis.
In its latest update, the World Bank noted that between August and November, many low- and middle-income countries were battling with high inflation.
It noted that the most-affected countries are in Africa, North America, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia. It further highlighted that in real terms, food price inflation has exceeded overall inflation 74 per cent in 167 countries.
In November, Nigeria’s headline inflation rose to 28.20 per cent while food inflation soared to 32.84 per cent.
