July 24, 2026 | Abuja
At least *16.99 million Nigerians* are projected to face acute hunger by January 2027, according to the latest Food Assistance Outlook Brief from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, FEWS NET.
The report, obtained by Sunday PUNCH on Thursday, shows that between *16.0 million and 16.99 million Nigerians* will need urgent food assistance by early next year.
The January 2027 projection is down from the current estimate of *20.0 million to 20.99 million* people in need in July 2026. Despite the decline, the figure remains higher than January 2025 levels and above Nigeria’s five-year average.
Nigeria ranks *4th globally* with the highest number of hungry people, behind Sudan, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and ahead of Yemen and Afghanistan.
FEWS NET, a U.S. government-funded early warning body, named Nigeria among just four countries expected to contribute more than 10% of the total *145 million to 155 million* people projected to need food assistance across 30 countries monitored by January 2027.
The report linked the hunger crisis to “conflict that disrupts livelihoods, restricts cultivation, and constrains household income” across northern Nigeria.
“Despite the completion of the main harvest in December, staple food prices are expected to remain high as production and supply disruptions coincide with high market reliance among conflict-affected households who are unable to cultivate,” the document stated.
Analysts say insecurity in the North-East, North-West and parts of the North-Central continues to limit farming, while inflation keeps food prices out of reach for many households.
The December harvest is expected to offer only partial relief. Humanitarian agencies are urging the federal and state governments to scale up food assistance, agricultural inputs, and security for farming communities ahead of the lean season.
FEWS NET said it will continue to monitor conditions and issue updates as the harvest progresses.
