Due to lack of money and other resources, 40 % of households reported experiencing serious food insecurity in June, data released by the National Statistics Bureau showed.
According to the National Longitudinal Phone Survey (NLPS) on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on Nigerian households conducted for June, since the start of the pandemic, the food security situation in Nigeria has worsened considerably.
The survey is the second of a planned 12 COVID-19 NLPS series of Nigerian households – 1,950 households – to monitor the economic impact of the pandemic and other shocks.
Until the outbreak of the novel virus, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had said some 4.02 million people in Nigeria were facing acute food insecurity. The number may have risen as a result of the lockdown in the economic activities.
Nonetheless, it said that access to safety nets or other forms of assistance was not substantially increased.
It said the incidence of extreme food insecurity was almost 3 times higher in June 2020 than in July / August 2018 and almost 6 times higher than in January / February 2019.
“Moreover, 77 per cent of households interviewed in June reported moderate or severe food insecurity.
“There has not been any significant improvement in safety nets or other sources of income assistance from institutions and/or remittances” it said.
The also said there was practically no improvement in safety net provision in June. Thirteen per cent of households provided food assistance, while two per cent reported receiving direct cash transfers.
Informal support networks from friends and family tend to be affected with households receiving remittances from within Nigeria dropping from 22 per cent in April / May to 18 per cent in June.
