Presidency Dismisses ‘Collapse’ Narrative, Says Hunger Crisis Projections Overblown

iNewsAfrica | August 9, 2025

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Presidency has pushed back against reports painting the nation as on the brink of collapse, insisting that recent hunger statistics making the rounds are projections, not an on-the-ground reality.

Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare on Thursday rejected claims that 33 million Nigerians are already facing hunger, clarifying that the figure comes from Cadre Harmonisé’s forecast used for planning during the lean season and does not reflect the present situation.

“Nigeria is not collapsing, and the hunger numbers being circulated are not verified facts but projections. We are responding decisively to economic and food security challenges,” Dare said.

Government’s Response Measures

The Presidency outlined a range of interventions aimed at cushioning the impact of rising food prices and economic strain:

• Food Security Drive: Release of 42,000 metric tons of grains from reserves, procurement of 117,000 metric tons more, and activation of the Food Security Council.

• Nutrition Support: Expanded feeding programs in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Katsina, Sokoto, and Bauchi.

• School Feeding: Over 9.8 million pupils in 53,000 schools served daily meals, employing 200,000 cooks nationwide.

• Social Welfare: ₦75,000 disbursed to over 3 million households under the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer, with a target of 15 million households.

• Economic Reforms: Naira stabilised from ₦1,800/$ in March 2024 to ₦1,525/$ as of August 1, 2025, alongside FX market unification and tax reforms.

The government also highlighted upcoming tax exemptions on food and medical goods from January 2026, as well as the launch of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme aimed at revitalizing all 8,809 wards nationwide.

The Bigger Picture

While acknowledging economic hardships, the Presidency urged citizens to focus on ongoing recovery efforts rather than alarmist projections. Officials maintain that coordinated federal and state market interventions, coupled with a $1 trillion economy vision by 2030, will put the country on a stronger footing.