WEF To Nigeria: End Conflict Now Or Face Deepening Hunger Disaster

The Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Nigeria, David Stevenson, has stated that foreign aid alone cannot resolve Nigeria’s deepening food crisis. According to Stevenson, the root cause of the crisis lies in the persistent insecurity plaguing northern Nigeria, fueled by the activities of bandits and terrorists.

Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday, Stevenson emphasized that Nigeria doesn’t lack the resources to overcome the crisis—it lacks the peace and agricultural productivity necessary to do so.

“The real solution isn’t charity or aid,” he said. “It’s peace and production.”

He highlighted how violence has devastated farming communities, forcing many into displacement and claiming the lives of others. Stevenson pointed out that with restored security, Nigeria has the potential not only to feed itself but to supply food across West Africa.

“In 2010, Maiduguri flour mills were producing 400 tons of wheat flour daily. When I visited recently, production had dropped to zero for wheat and only some maize output remains,” he said.

He further revealed that since January, around 450 attacks have occurred in the northeast, with 10,000 civilians from Marte fleeing to Dikwa just last week due to renewed violence. Over 40 farmers were reportedly killed for simply returning to their farmlands.

“Northeast Nigeria once served as the breadbasket for both the nation and parts of Sahelian West Africa,” Stevenson lamented. “The consequences of insecurity are devastating and real.”