How 22 states in Nigeria face risk of malnutrition, food insecurity in 2022

A government source research data sponsored by United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF), USAID, EU, AU, ECOWAS and other partners, “Cadre Harmonize for Identification of Risk Areas and Vulnerable Populations In 21 States and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 2022” has shown that no fewer than 21 states and the Federal Capital Territories(FCT) of Nigeria faces malnutrition and food insecurity in 2022 and 2023 year under review.

The Cadre Harmonisé (CH) is the unified tool for consensual analysis of acute food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel and West African Region. At the regional level, the CH process is coordinated by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), jointly managed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Union Economic Monetaire of West Africa (UEMOA). 

The March 2022 CH analysis covered twenty-one (21) states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) using the CH Version 2.0 protocols. The analysis considered food and nutrition security outcomes (Food consumption, livelihood evolution, nutritional status and mortality); complemented with inferences drawn from the impact of relevant contributing factors (hazards and vulnerability, food availability, food access, food utilization and stability). 

The result of the analysis indicates that 14.5 million people (9.1%) of the analyzed population require urgent assistance in the current period (March to May, 2022). During the projected period (June to August 2022), the number of vulnerable population may rise to 19.5 million (12.3%) of the overall population analyzed, unless conscious efforts are made to provide strategic resilience-focused interventions and humanitarian assistance in areas where necessary.

The main results for zones affected by food and nutrition insecurity in the 21 states of Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT. 

During the current period, Borno, Sokoto, Katsina and Yobe have some of the areas largely classified in crisis with Gubio LGA in Borno State having some populations in emergency. During the projected period, several areas in Borno Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe and Peri-Urban FCT will likely fall under the crisis phase of FNI with some populations under the emergency phase in Abadam, Mobbar and more populations in Gubio LGAs of Borno State.

Food Consumption:

In the current period from March to May, 2022, food consumption across several states was under stress; except in inaccessible LGAs and states with high incidences of insecurity namely Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Sokoto and Niger where it is under crisis. 

During the projected period of June to August, 2022; food consumption is expected to deteriorate slightly due to reduced markets stocks and its resultant hike in staple food prices which often limits HHs capacity to acquire stocks and sustain access to quality and nutritious foods.

Livelihood Change

Livelihood evolution is either under pressure or crisis across all the states. However, in conflict affected states of Zamfara, Katsina,

Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno; several households experienced seriously disrupted livelihood as well as critical to non-access of income generating activities Local Government Areas and income sources. During the projected period, these areas may likely experience further instability in livelihoods, with more households, resorting to irreversible and crisis livelihood coping strategies to meet their food and basic non-food needs, in the absence of sustained on-going humanitarian action.

Nutrition

Generally, malnutrition prevalence for children of 6 to 59 months is above the critical threshold in some states. GAM rate ranged from 6.1% to 6.3% in Adamawa State, 12.4% to 16.0% in Sokoto State and 7.5% to 10.1% in Zamfara States respectively. 

However, in Northern Borno, MMC and Jere the GAM rate is under stress (8.8 %). The critical nutrition situation may be linked to poor WASH and sanitation practices including poor food dietary diversity which exposes children to diseases and hinders their overall growth and development.

Mortality

Current data on mortality rate in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe is in the minimal phase. However, in the inaccessible areas of Borno State, the

mortality rate is indicates critical situation (Phase 5). Consequently, there are no data for mortality.

Hazards and Vulnerability

In Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger States including the FCT, high cases of banditry and kidnapping

were witnessed. Similarly, in the north central states of Benue and Plateau incessant cases of farmers and herders conflict has remained a concern. 

These situations have resulted to high levels of displacement, disrupted livelihood and unavailability of stable Income Generating Activities (IGAs) in affected areas. 

In the BAY States (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe), the continued operations of Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) remains a concern resulting in high rates of displacements, unstable livelihoods and use of irreversible coping strategies among several households to meet their food and basic none-food needs. Generally, the over 50% hike in staple food prices witnessed across the states, has implications on HHs access stocks, quantitative and diversified nutritious foods both in the current and projected periods.

Food Availability

Marginal increases in staple and cash crops output was witnessed in 2021 compared to five-year averages in several states except in Abia, Lagos, Katsina, Benue, Kaduna, Niger and Taraba where below-average increases was reported. 

The reduction in output was attributed to insecurity which restricted households’ access to production inputs (land, labor and agrochemicals). Generally, significant proportions of households’ in accessible LGAs from the BAY States [76.9% (Borno), 86.8% (Adamawa) and 90.8% (Yobe)] were involved in the 2021 cropping activities. 

Nonetheless, results from earth observation products (EOPs) suggest a slight increase in cropped land area in 2021 across most of the inaccessible areas in the BAY States when compared to 2020 cropping season. 

Despite the rise in banditry and insecurity in the northwest states of Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara, at least 70% of HHs were able to access production inputs across the zones. A significant reduction in household stocks was reported in the current period among a significant proportion of households with about 35% having no stocks. Going into the lean season (June to August 2022) more households’ may experience depleted or non-availability food stocks.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

• I Will No Longer Demand Money For God’s Blessing — Benny Hinn

• Dubai Sex Tape: Chrisland Student Apologises

• 17-Year-Old Ojo Jonathan Becomes Youngest Chartered Accountant In Nigeria

Although, harvests from the early maturing crops from the 2022 wet cropping season may help cushion the deficits in food availability and ameliorate possible deterioration in food shortages; there are still concerns that displaced households in several insecurity burdened areas may face severe food consumption gaps.

Food Access

Access to food among several households was limited by the soaring food prices which were heightened by the fuel and gas scarcity and its resultant hike in cost of food haulage and distribution systems from several production baskets to the markets. 

The state of insecurity across several areas/zones negatively impacted on households’ capacity to access stable income sources which significantly reduced their purchasing power to sustain a minimally acceptable food consumption status. Of particular concern are IDP populations and populations in inaccessible areas who are facing high food-deficit gaps and non-access to income sources.

During the projected period of June to August 2022 access to food may deteriorate slightly across the states but most severe among IDPs population whose sources of income and livelihood are currently under crisis to emergency phases.

Food utilisation including water

Across the states, at least 80% of households had access to safe and potable water for drinking and cooking. Improved administration of food supplements (vitamin A and Iron foliate) to children aged 6 to 59 months and pregnant mothers were reported in several states’ primary health care services and community management for acute malnutrition (CMAM) centres. 

However, in the insecurity burdened states, there are concerns that several displaced populations and people trapped in the inaccessible areas are experiencing difficulty accessing safe potable water and stable access to health care services. During the projected period, access to water may continue to undermine households’ food utilization status in some states (Lagos, Borno and Adamawa) where only about 30% to 45% of households still source their water from unsafe points (unprotected well, streams and surface water).

Stability

During the current period, non-availability of household stocks was reported in several states due to reduced food output indices from the 2021 production season among producers. Nonetheless, the hike in staple food prices played a major role in undermining households’ food access and utilisation. 

Although the terms of trade were favourable among cash crop producers when compared to the past 5-year average, the recent high in prices of haulage and transportation posed a challenge to their benefiting optimally from the sale of their produce. 

During the projected period, food prices are expected to increase further following the seasonal hike in prices. However, early harvest from the 2022/23 cropping season may help ameliorate the situation.

Expectantly, households in partially and inaccessible areas may resort to more difficult livelihood coping measures to meet their food and essential non-food needs during the projected period putting them in dire food and nutrition security situation. 

People who are in food and nutrition insecurity and where they are located

The result indicates that 14, 455, 049 (9.1%) persons from the analysed population are in a critical acute food insecurity state (Phase 3 and 4), and require urgent attention in the current period of March to May 2022. During the projected period of June to August 2022, these figures may rise to 19, 453, 305 (12.3%) of the overall population, including 415 950 IDP populations in Benue, Sokoto and Zamfara States unless conscious resilience-strengthening interventions and ongoing humanitarian assistance are intensified in these affected areas. 

Among the vulnerable population needing urgent assistance, the inaccessible population in sixteen (16) LGAs [Adamawa (1 LGA), Borno (14LGAs) and Yobe (1 LGA) States] analysed using the special protocol constitutes 423 886 and 504 234 in the current and projected period each respectively. 

Generally, reports from these inaccessible areas suggest that households are faced with very high food consumption deficit, poor dietary diversity and crisis to emergency reduced coping strategies during the current period. Similarly, internally displaced persons (IDPs) in formal camps from Sokoto, Benue and Zamfara States constitute 23, 769; 307 427 and 54218 respectively of the overall vulnerable populations estimated to be in phases 3 to 4 during the current period. 

Inaccessible population in completely inaccessible or partially inaccessible LGAs of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States

Of the 979,030 population in acute food insecurity situation, needing emergency assistance during the current period in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, 423 886 (43.3%) are situated in inaccessible communities of 16 LGAs (Abadam, Askira Uba, Bama, Damboa, Dikwa, Guzamala, Gubio, Gwoza, Konduga, Kukawa, Mafa, Magumeri, Marte and Nganzai) in Borno; Madagali LGA in Adamawa and Gujba LGA in Yobe States respectively where humanitarian agencies lack access. 

However, there are additional vulnerable populations in other inaccessible areas of Borno that were not analysed because of the inadequate sample size which did not meet the minimum threshold required for special protocol. Similarly, of the 789 774 and 895 343 people in critical food insecurity condition, in Adamawa and Yobe States, 10 224 (1.3%) and 33 649 (3.8%) are located in inaccessible areas. 

Although findings from the food security assessment in these areas showed a mild improvement in consumption, there are indications of deterioration in access to basic essential needs like health services, WASH, education and shelter, all of which have implications for nutrition and the overall well-being and development of these inaccessible population. 

Places like Gubio, Mobbar and Abadam LGAs were classified under the emergency phase in the projected current situation. Nonetheless, there is a strong indication that some populations may be in catastrophe during the period. While some inaccessible areas in Borno (Chibok, Jere, Kala/Balge, Mafa, Ngala, Mobbar and Magumeri); Adamawa (Michika and Hong) and Yobe (Geidam and Tarmua) States respectively were not analyzed due to insufficient sample size to meet to criteria for analysis. Data obtained from food and nutrition security monitoring systems across these areas indicates that there are significant populations facing food and nutrition security challenges and in emergency need of assistance.