The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has seized on a new United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) report to accuse President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to stop a food crisis after the agency reported that more than 17 million Nigerians face acute hunger in nine conflict-hit northern states.
The opposition party said the figures show that insecurity and economic hardship have pushed millions into severe food shortages.
Opposition cites UN figures to support criticism
The party released its reaction on Monday after the WFP reported that over 17 million Nigerians are facing Crisis, Emergency or Catastrophic levels of food insecurity. It said the number is almost two million higher than earlier projections.
The report shows that Borno State has more than three million people facing acute food insecurity. The combined total for Borno State, Adamawa State and Yobe State has reached 6.2 million people.
ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said the figures should not be dismissed because they came from the UN agency responsible for fighting hunger.
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He argued that the crisis stems from attacks on farming communities, insecurity, displacement, limited access for humanitarian workers and reduced support for vulnerable people. He blamed the Federal Government for failing to tackle those problems and said harsh economic policies have also made food unaffordable for many households.
The party described the situation as a humanitarian disaster that could have been avoided if farmers had been better protected and agricultural production had been supported.
Party pushes manifesto as alternative
Beyond criticising the government, the ADC used the report to present its own policy proposals on food security and agriculture.
The party said Nigeria needs a coordinated national plan that treats food security as part of national security instead of relying on short-term relief measures. It argued that insecurity, food inflation and unemployment are closely linked and require one coordinated response.
The ADC said its manifesto proposes placing food security on the agenda of the National Security Council while improving coordination among the federal, state and local governments.
It also pledged stronger support for smallholder farmers through improved farm inputs, mechanisation, extension services and better market access. The party said increasing food production is necessary to reduce inflation and improve food availability.
The manifesto also promises to restore 264 abandoned dams to support irrigation throughout the year. The ADC said it would invest in warehouses, aggregation centres, cold-chain facilities and strategic grain reserves to cut post-harvest losses, steady food prices and support families during periods of economic hardship.
The opposition party said those proposals were already contained in its manifesto before the latest WFP assessment.
The WFP findings have again drawn attention to the effect of insecurity on farming activities in parts of northern Nigeria. Armed attacks and displacement have disrupted cultivation in many communities, reducing food production while inflation has made basic food items harder to afford.
The ADC sought to strengthen its criticism of the Tinubu administration and present itself as offering a different policy direction. The party insisted that the latest assessment reflects the daily experience of many Nigerians struggling with hunger and rising food costs.
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