By Daniel Edu

The recent coup d’état in Niger is expected to exert additional pressure on Nigeria and other West African nations’ food markets, according to a report by the World Bank. The coup has put an additional seven million people at risk of severe food insecurity in the region, further straining the situation in the context of rising commodity and staple food prices and existing severe food insecurity affecting 3.3 million people during the lean season.

The World Bank’s September ‘Food Security Update’ highlighted the potential consequences of the economic and financial sanctions imposed on Niger by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). It revealed that food prices in Niger increased by up to 21 percent in August, limiting access to food for poor households and their ability to meet dietary needs.

The report stressed the importance of continued food aid provision by the World Food Programme (WFP) due to the government’s limited financial capacity to implement its food assistance program. However, it noted that access restrictions were hindering the delivery of aid. Additionally, the report mentioned that the shortage of seeds and feed, coupled with high fertilizer costs, would likely impact the next agricultural season, exacerbating food insecurity, which is expected to persist beyond the lean season.

The World Bank emphasized that Western and Central Africa were experiencing ongoing food crises, with the number of people in need of food and nutritional assistance in the region rising significantly. Factors contributing to food insecurity included civil insecurity, conflict, climatic shocks, political instability, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, all of which increased the volatility of food prices and led to widespread inflation.

The report also highlighted that many vehicles were stuck at Nigeria’s border with Niger in Sokoto State following the coup in Niger. The closure of the border between the two countries was estimated to put at risk Nigerian-Nigerien trade worth approximately $226.34 million.