Nigeria in trouble as humanitarian crisis looms

THE ‘Giant of Africa’ is in bad shape.

- KIM HELLER

In a massive humanitarian emergency, over 30 million Nigerians are facing hunger in the worst food shortage in the country’s history. This crisis not only places Nigeria in peril but also poses a threat to regional stability, according to David Stevenson, the Nigerian Country Director for the World Food Programme.

Nigeria is a hotbed of instability. The danger of Jihadist insurgency is ever-present, the economy continues to decline, and the hazardous level of political corruption and attrition is eroding trust in the government.

The current administration’s response to these interlinked crises will have significant consequences for the people of Nigeria, the well-being of West Africa, and the legacy of President Bola Tinubu. Under his leadership, GDP has fallen, and measures to revive the economy have faltered. He has failed to arrest country instability, the agricultural sector is under threat, and now the nation faces a food security emergency.

Trust in government has fallen. Resentment is growing.

According to a survey by the African Development Bank, released earlier this year, two-thirds of Nigerians believe their economic well-being is deteriorating. Previous surveys have shown growing frustrations about job shortages and dissatisfaction with the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to wreak havoc in Nigeria, particularly in its northeastern states, where state control has been derailed. Rural farming communities are devastated as insurgents destroy crops and kill livestock, placing farmland and families in jeopardy.