Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to declare hunger a national emergency, citing the growing number of Nigerians facing food insecurity and economic hardship.
Obi made the call on Friday, October 16, 2026, in a statement published on his verified X account to commemorate World Food Day. He expressed concern over Nigeria's food security situation, citing international hunger assessments and the country's agricultural potential as reasons for urgent government intervention.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate said millions of Nigerian households were struggling with hunger, poverty and insecurity despite the country's extensive agricultural resources. He argued that the scale of the problem required greater national attention and a coordinated response from the government.
“What became clear to me is that hunger in the country must be declared a national emergency,” Obi stated.
He referred to Nigeria's position in the Global Hunger Index, claiming that the country had fallen from 109th out of 125 countries in 2023 to 117th out of 125. He linked the figures to his criticism of the government's response to food insecurity, although the rankings were presented as part of his statement rather than independently established comparisons for the same assessment year.
Obi also cited estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), indicating that approximately 36 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity in 2026. He said the figures demonstrated the seriousness of the challenges confronting households across the country.
The latest FAO food security assessment, dated September 16, 2026, estimated that nearly 36.3 million people, representing 17 per cent of the population covered by the analysis, faced severe acute food insecurity during the June-to-August lean season. The assessment placed approximately 2.1 million people in the Emergency category and about 10,300 in the Catastrophe category.
The FAO attributed the deterioration to continuing conflict and economic challenges, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria. Its assessment identified the North-East, North-Central and North-West as areas where insecurity had disrupted agricultural livelihoods and market activities.
Obi maintained that Nigeria possessed sufficient agricultural potential to address a significant proportion of its food requirements. He claimed that approximately 60 per cent of the country's arable land remained uncultivated and argued that insecurity had further restricted access to agricultural land.
The former governor linked the food crisis to attacks on farming communities and the displacement of residents from agricultural areas. He said farmers should be able to cultivate their land without fear of violence, kidnapping or other security threats.
His remarks came amid warnings from international humanitarian organisations about the severity of food insecurity in Nigeria.
On June 17, 2026, the FAO and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) identified northeastern Nigeria among the areas of highest concern in their Hunger Hotspots report. The agencies warned that worsening conflict and food insecurity were placing vulnerable populations at risk of increasingly severe hunger.
The report projected that approximately 15,000 people in Borno State could face catastrophic food insecurity during the June-to-August period. It also identified displacement and insecurity as major factors affecting access to food and agricultural livelihoods.
In a separate statement issued on July 2, the WFP warned that the hunger crisis in parts of northern Nigeria had reached levels not seen in almost a decade. The organisation highlighted the combined effects of conflict, displacement and reduced humanitarian assistance on affected communities.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Governors' Forum has announced plans for a nationwide nutrition emergency initiative. On October 10, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal presented the governors' commitment following a leadership exchange programme in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The governors pledged to establish a National Nutrition Intervention Fund to support the Nutrition 774 Initiative across Nigeria's 774 local government areas. The commitment also included measures to strengthen nutrition financing, planning and accountability at state and local government levels.
The governors' proposal concerns nutrition interventions and does not establish that the Federal Government has formally declared hunger a national emergency, as requested by Obi.
Obi's World Food Day statement therefore adds to public calls for stronger action on food insecurity at a time when United Nations assessments continue to document widespread hunger and the effects of insecurity on agricultural production.
The former governor maintained that addressing hunger should be treated as a national priority, with particular attention to food affordability, agricultural production and the security of farming communities.
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