By Samuel Abasiekong-Abasiekong

The worsening economic hardship under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu may push about 35 million Nigerians into severe hunger between June and August this year, the United Nations has warned.

The signal raises fears over the growing suffering of millions of families already battling skyrocketing food prices and declining incomes.

In a fresh alert issued by the UN Humanitarian Country Team, the organisation said nearly one in seven Nigerians could experience acute food insecurity during the coming lean season.

The warning comes as many households across the country continue to struggle with rising inflation, high transportation costs, Naira instability, and the removal of fuel subsidies which have sharply increased the cost of living.

The UN described Nigeria as one of the countries facing the world’s most severe hunger crises, with northern communities suffering the most.

In many parts of the country, families are reportedly reducing meal portions, skipping meals entirely, and depending on charity to survive as basic food items become increasingly unaffordable for ordinary citizens.

According to the UN, the situation is especially alarming for children, revealing that about 6.4 million children across North-West and North-East Nigeria may suffer acute malnutrition this year.

The agency warned that this could force desperate parents to sell their possessions or withdraw their children from school just to feed their families.

The UN and its humanitarian partners are now appealing for urgent international support to prevent the crisis from worsening as the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Nigeria requires $516 million in funding, but only about 40 per cent of the needed support has been received so far, with just $215 million reportedly available as of May 2026.