The World Bank has issued a warning that the recent coup d’état in Niger may intensify pressure on food markets in Nigeria and other West African nations.
According to the World Bank, the coup in Niger raises the likelihood that an additional seven million people in the region will face severe food insecurity.
This new food crisis comes at a time when 3.3 million people are already grappling with food insecurity during the lean season due to rising prices of essential commodities and staple foods.
In its September ‘Food Security Update,’ the Washington-based institution stated, “The coup d’état in Niger might put additional pressure on West African food markets.”
In August, food prices in Niger surged by up to 21% due to economic and financial sanctions imposed on the nation by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union, as reported by the bank.
These price increases have hindered the ability of low-income households to meet their dietary needs and access food.
The World Bank emphasized the necessity of continued food aid by the World Food Programme, given the government’s limited financial capacity to implement its food assistance program. However, access restrictions have posed challenges to aid delivery.
Furthermore, the bank predicted that shortages of seeds and livestock feed, along with high fertilizer costs, would impact the upcoming agricultural season, exacerbating food insecurity, which is expected to persist beyond the lean season.
According to the bank, the number of individuals in Western and Central Africa requiring food and nutritional assistance has surged from over 10.7 million in 2019 to nearly 29 million in 2021 and to more than 40 million in 2022 and 2023. This underscores the ongoing food crisis in the region.
The bank highlighted that 42.5 million people in Nigeria and other West African nations faced a food crisis or worse between June and August 2023.
The primary factors contributing to food security challenges include civil unrest and conflict leading to forced displacement, climatic shocks, political instability, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, all of which have heightened the volatility of food and commodity prices and led to widespread inflation. The bank noted that current food prices for staples and imported goods remain higher than the same period last year.
