By Abdullahi Lukman
Save the Children International has warned that an estimated 36.2 million Nigerians across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory will face acute food and nutrition insecurity during the 2026 lean season, with children and mothers expected to bear the greatest burden.
The organisation attributed the worsening humanitarian situation to persistent conflict, climate-related shocks, soaring food prices and declining global humanitarian funding, calling for urgent interventions to avert a deeper crisis.
Speaking at the Humanitarian Xchange Abuja 2026 conference on Tuesday, Save the Children Nigeria Country Director, Duncan Harvey, said findings from the latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis showed that 36.2 million people could experience acute food and nutrition insecurity between June and August.
He disclosed that about two million people are projected to face emergency levels of food insecurity, while more than 10,000 residents of Borno State risk falling into catastrophic hunger if urgent assistance is not provided.
Harvey said children and mothers remain the most vulnerable, particularly in conflict-affected Borno State, where over 758,000 people are expected to experience emergency levels of food insecurity.
He added that malnutrition rates remain critically high in communities such as Mobbar, Nganzai and Maiduguri, underscoring the need for immediate humanitarian support to protect lives and livelihoods.