The Nigerian government, in partnership with the United Nations, has launched the 2025 Lean Season Response Plan to address the escalating food crisis in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
With $159 million in funding, the plan aims to assist two million people—including one million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM)—as the region grapples with the devastating effects of a 15-year humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, economic instability, and climate shocks.
Projections indicate that by 2025, nearly 4.6 million people in these northeastern states could face acute food insecurity, posing a grave threat to vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
The response plan targets immediate relief through food assistance, emergency healthcare, nutrition support, and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
It also includes strategies to build long-term community resilience. Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, stressed the urgency of the situation, while UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall called for swift, coordinated action and increased involvement from the private sector and emerging donors.
With the lean season expected to begin in June, the Nigerian government and its international partners are racing to prevent further deterioration in a region already hit hard by prolonged crisis.
