West Africa, grappling with multifaceted challenges such as political unrest and environmental shifts, now confronts an alarming food shortage of historic proportions. This week, ECOWAS delivered a grave alert, forecasting that approximately 47 million individuals could suffer from inadequate nutrition over the coming quarter. ROLAND OGBONNAYA writes.
ECOWAS's concerning forecast highlights the critical necessity for collaborative efforts to alleviate the looming humanitarian catastrophe and tackle the root issues driving the crisis.
The scale of the possible crisis is daunting. Picture almost half of the UK's population facing difficulties in obtaining adequate food each day. This situation could have devastating effects on the area's stability, progress, and human potential, potentially leading to increased conflicts and displacements.
To understand the seriousness of the situation, we need to analyze the intricate network of interrelated elements driving this looming crisis. As noted by an observer at the event, the area's difficulties with food security are worsened by unpredictable weather conditions, a phenomenon now often linked to climate change. The West African region faces heightened risks from droughts, floods, and land degradation, each significantly affecting farming output.
Prolonged droughts ruin harvests and livestock, whereas flooding ruins rich soil and damages essential structures. In the Sahel area, desertification is shrinking the amount of farmland, which compounds issues with food generation. Such weather-induced disruptions are increasingly frequent and intense, upsetting conventional agricultural methods and pushing populations toward precarious living conditions.
Political instability and military clashes across different regions of West Africa are intensifying the food crisis. Nations like Nigeria face challenges from insurgencies, brigandage, and ethnic strife, which interfere with farming operations, cause population displacement, and restrict trade. Owing to safety concerns, farmers often cannot cultivate or gather their produce, while displaced groups depend significantly on external assistance for sustenance.
For instance, the strife in the Lake Chad Basin has led to the displacement of millions and has drastically interrupted farming activities, thereby greatly exacerbating food insecurity in the area. These conflicts have repercussions that extend further than just forced relocation; they also jeopardize future food supplies by derailing logistical networks and hindering progress in agriculture.
The economic weaknesses in West Africa intensify the impact of climate change and conflicts on food security. With high levels of poverty coupled with dependence on rainfall for farming, these regions become highly susceptible to financial disruptions. Increasing expenses related to food, fuel, and fertilizers—driven by fluctuations in global markets and worsened by the Ukrainian conflict—are exerting significant pressure on families.
A lot of households are finding it difficult to cover essential expenses, leading them to cut back on food or resort to extreme actions. The combination of inflation and restricted access to credit and various financial tools diminishes the capacity of at-risk groups to manage increasing daily costs.
Lack of proper infrastructure, including storage facilities, transport networks, and irrigation systems, hinders attempts to tackle the food crisis. Inadequate storage leads to substantial post-harvest losses, and insufficient transportation options restrict market entry, particularly for small-scale farmers.
Ineffective governance systems characterized by corruption, a lack of accountability, and inadequate agricultural policies hinder attempts to enhance food security. The failure to efficiently oversee natural resources, adopt sustainable farming methods, and tackle the impacts of climate change intensifies the area's weaknesses.
This week, ECOWAS released a statement cautioning that around 47 million individuals in the area may experience a food crisis from June to August of 2025 should measures not be implemented to improve the present state of food security. The organization reports that currently, 34.7 million people across the region urgently need food and nutritional support.
Mrs. Massandjé Toure-Litse, who serves as the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, announced this during the inauguration of the third meeting of the Regional Food Security Reserve (RFSR) Management Committee in Abuja.
Toure-Litse, represented by Mr. Mohammed Zango, the Acting Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, highlighted the critical need to enhance immediate response strategies while establishing foundations for enduring resilience. She pointed out that the state of food and nutritional security in West Africa and the Sahel has worsened considerably over recent years.
While explaining that the nutritional crisis continues across multiple regions within the area, with global acute malnutrition levels standing at 10 to 14 percent, the commissioner mentioned: "Analyses carried out in December 2024 using the Harmonized Framework indicated that approximately 34.7 million individuals urgently need food and nutrition support. Should suitable actions fail to be taken, this number might increase to around 47 million during the lean period from June to August 2025."
Moreover, the nutrition crisis persists across various parts of our area, with global acute malnutrition levels between 10% and 14%. In light of this alarming condition, which has been intensified by multiple issues such as regional geopolitical shifts, ongoing conflicts, financial instability, environmental changes, and long-term food insecurity, our region needs to enhance its rapid-response systems while also establishing foundations for enduring resilience.
Stocks for food security seem to be vital instruments of social protection employed across different levels—local, national, and regional—to adequately address food emergencies.
Toure-Litse indicated that the meeting "will enable an assessment of the activities conducted by the Regional Reserve since March 2023 according to the directives set by the Executive Board. This includes examining procurement efforts, interventions made, restocking initiatives, technical turnovers, and locating additional storage areas." Additionally, the gathering aims at outlining strategies for actions planned for 2025, with a focus on supporting member countries as they address the needs of communities hit hardest by food shortages, malnutrition issues, and herding challenges.
Our conversations and choices will guarantee that the management of the Reserve remains open, effective, and equitable, as we continue to adapt to present and upcoming challenges. You know well that over the past decade, our efforts have been integral to the local storage plan. Through this process, we gained significant insights from seeing how theoretical aspects of the local storage strategy play out in reality.
We face new challenges due to the evolving sociopolitical landscape both within our region and globally. Therefore, we need to revise this strategy along with the operational guidelines for the Regional Reserve to enhance the coordination and impact of our collaborative efforts.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized that the current food challenges underscore the critical necessity to enhance strategies and response mechanisms to adequately tackle theregion's food and nutritional crises.
Kyari, represented by Mr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, highlighted that the food reserve has emerged as a vital element in the region’s joint approach to tackling the food and nutrition emergency.
He said, "The current meeting is occurring during an exceptionally concerning period for our area; it is widely recognized across the globe, especially in West Africa and the Sahel, that the state of food security has worsened over recent years due to conflicts, economic instability, and severe consequences from climate change." This issue has been further intensified by reduced funding, regional geopolitical tensions, and overall scarcity of available food. As indicated in the latest Cadre Harmonisé report released in December 2024, close to 34.7 million individuals urgently need food and nutritional support.
These significant challenges underscore the critical necessity to reinforce our strategies and tools to better tackle the food and nutrition crises impacting our area. Additionally, they emphasize the increasing requirement for national funding of agriculture broadly, along with our mechanisms designed to respond to food emergencies.
This consequently necessitates a coordinated deliberate initiative to tackle food production, implement strategic food storage, manage markets, and mitigate price fluctuations, along with reshaping the strategies of the regional organization, specifically concerning the administration and oversight of the regional food security reserves.
Established in 2013 by the ECOWAS leaders, the Regional Food Security Reserve aids member nations Chad and Mauritania in handling food emergencies. The reserve aims to bolster national initiatives by offering swift, varied, and customized food support to affected communities; demonstrate collective regional backing for these states and their people via clear procedures; and enhance food self-governance as well as cross-border cooperation.
From the outset, the reserve has achieved substantial advancements, and currently boasts an estimated capital consisting of over 74,000 tons of provisions stockpiled across different zones within our area, poised for rapid deployment when needed.
Tackling the impending food crisis necessitates a comprehensive strategy that tackles underlying issues while alleviating immediate impacts like funding climate-resilient farming practices, developing drought-tolerant crop varieties, and enhancing water distribution networks. Encouraging eco-friendly land use and tree planting initiatives can further prevent desert spread and boost soil health.
Tackling the fundamental reasons behind conflicts necessitates inclusive governance, discussions, and harmony to establish a secure setting for food production and distribution. Enhancing safety protocols to safeguard both farmers and aid personnel is equally important.
Encouraging economic diversity and establishing additional sources of income can lessen dependence on farming and boost resistance against financial disruptions. Assisting smaller businesses and fostering entrepreneurial spirit may result in new employment opportunities and higher earnings.
Boosting food security involves investing in infrastructure growth, including storage facilities, transportation networks, and irrigation systems. Enhancing governance frameworks, fostering openness and responsibility, and implementing effective policies can collectively foster conditions favorable for sustainable progress.
Urgent humanitarian aid is essential for alleviating suffering and averting mass malnutrition among the most susceptible groups. Enhancing social safety nets like direct financial support and nutritional provisions can assist struggling families in coping with economic disruptions while ensuring they have enough food.
Specialists have acknowledged the importance of global partnership and coordination in pooling resources, exchanging successful strategies, and synchronizing actions to tackle the food emergency. Working together with international bodies, governmental agencies, and groups within civil society can aid in making sure support arrives at those most urgently needing it.
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