𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐛𝐢 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis, saying the nation has no excuse for being among the world’s hungriest despite its vast land and youthful population.

Speaking at the Sahel Food Systems Changemakers Conference in Abuja on Thursday, Obi said the country’s resources could make it self-sufficient in food production if properly harnessed. “You can’t talk about anything if your people cannot have a healthy meal,” he said.

He described the situation as “very regrettable,” comparing Nigeria’s output with Bangladesh, which produces up to 60 million tonnes of rice despite its smaller size. Obi emphasised that agriculture, if given the right attention, could earn more revenue than oil.

The Chief Executive Officer of the ONE Campaign, Ndidi Nwuneli, also warned that hunger in Nigeria is worsening, with many citizens surviving on one meal a day. She noted that the nation’s life expectancy has dropped from 57 to 54 years, blaming weak food systems and poor coordination.

Sahel Consulting’s Managing Partner, Temitope Adegoroye, urged stakeholders to prioritise sustainability and local ownership in agricultural policies, saying lasting impact must go beyond donor funding.

Nigeria ranks 115th out of 123 countries on the 2025 Global Hunger Index, with 30.6 million citizens acutely food insecure, according to the World Food Programme.