Nigeria Unveils Bold Plan to Avert Food and Nutrition Crisis in the Northeast
Abuja, Nigeria – May 6, 2025
In a decisive step to confront an escalating humanitarian emergency, the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched the 2025 Lean Season Food Security and Nutrition Crisis Multisector Plan, targeting the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe — regions long impacted by conflict, displacement, and chronic food insecurity.
With millions projected to face hunger and acute malnutrition during this year’s lean season, the plan signals a coordinated, multisectoral response to what has been described as a preventable crisis — one with both local urgency and global significance.
“A Call to Conscience and Collaboration”
Speaking at the official launch in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction described the plan as “not merely a policy document, but a call to conscience — and a test of our shared humanity.”
The Minister emphasized the critical need for swift, unified action: “Behind every data point is a mother skipping meals, a child whose growth is stunted, a farmer forced from his land. This is not just a Nigerian crisis — it is a moral challenge to the global community.”
Integrated, Data-Driven, and Locally Anchored
The Multisector Plan brings together interventions across food assistance, nutrition, health, water and sanitation, protection, agriculture, and early recovery. Built on evidence and field insights, the plan leverages Nigeria’s National Social Register with geotagged mapping and digital targeting to improve aid efficiency and transparency.
It is also rooted in local ownership. “This is a homegrown plan, powered by innovation and grounded in community realities,” the Minister said. “State and local governments are not just participants — they are leaders in this process.”
National Leadership, Global Partnerships
While reaffirming the Federal Government’s leadership role in coordinating the response, the Minister issued a strong appeal to development partners, humanitarian agencies, and the private sector: “We welcome your continued support — but we also urge greater alignment. Our goal is not parallel systems, but shared progress.”
The government committed to ensuring that every intervention is aligned with national policy and that resources are traceable and impactful. “Every kobo must make a difference — and every effort must reinforce resilience, not dependency.”
From Emergency Relief to Sustainable Recovery
Though focused on the lean season — the most food-insecure period of the year — the plan sets the foundation for a longer-term transformation of the humanitarian response system in Nigeria’s Northeast.
“This is more than a seasonal intervention,” the Minister explained. “It is a strategic investment in peace, in stability, and in the dignity of those who have endured far too much, for far too long.”
A Shared Responsibility
As humanitarian crises rise globally, Nigeria’s plan adds to the growing call for sustainable, locally led responses supported by international solidarity. The Minister concluded with a powerful appeal:
“The world has the tools and resources to end hunger. What remains is the will to act — collectively, urgently, and with compassion.”
End