Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the Federal Government’s handling of food security, saying Nigeria’s hunger situation has worsened despite policies introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a post shared on his X page, Obi reacted to the President’s recent assessment of his three years in office, where Tinubu listed achievements in the agricultural sector, including the declaration of a state of emergency on food security in July 2023 and the acquisition of 2,000 tractors and 9,000 farming implements.
Obi said the measures have not produced the expected results, claiming that Nigeria’s position on the Global Hunger Index has worsened over the past three years.
According to him, Nigeria was ranked 103rd out of 123 countries surveyed in 2022/2023, but dropped to 115th out of the same number of countries in 2025/2026.
The former Anambra State governor stated that the development has placed Nigeria among the countries facing the most severe food insecurity worldwide. He also pointed to projections indicating that millions of Nigerians could face severe hunger.
Obi argued that Nigeria should not be struggling with food insecurity, given its vast agricultural potential, especially the large areas of uncultivated land in the country’s northern region.
He called for greater investment in agricultural production, saying such efforts would improve food availability while also creating jobs for millions of Nigerians.
He maintained that transparent and deliberate investments in agriculture remain key to achieving food security and addressing the growing economic hardship facing citizens.
Who Documents the World’s Global Hunger Index ?
The GHI is jointly compiled and published by two prominent international humanitarian organizations:
- Welthungerhilfe (WHH): One of Germany’s largest private, politically independent aid organizations.
- Concern Worldwide: An Ireland-based international humanitarian organization focused on extreme poverty and hunger relief.
The index calculates scores based on four key indicators: undernourishment (insufficient caloric intake in the general population), child stunting (low height for age), child wasting (low weight for height), and child mortality (children dying before age five).
Nigeria’s Position
Nigeria’s hunger status remains critical. In the 2025 Global Hunger Index report, Nigeria ranks 115th out of 123 countries assessed.
With a GHI score of 32.8 out of 100, Nigeria falls squarely into the “Serious” hunger severity category. Any score between 20.0 and 34.9 signifies a major crisis. This marks a downward slide from its 110th position in the previous year’s cycle.
