A girl in an Action Against Hunger health centre in Nigeria.

Nigeria

After more than a decade of conflict, the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northeast states remains one of the most serious in the world.

Nigeria is Africa’s wealthiest, most populous nation and has a fast-growing economy. Despite this, more than half of the country lives below the poverty line and northern Nigeria suffers with widespread child undernutrition. In 2020, 7.9 million people were in need of humanitarian aid.

This crisis is caused by lack of access to food, safe water and sanitation, the disruption of basic services due to conflict and poor knowledge of healthy feeding practices for young children.

Reaching many in need of support can be extremely difficult for humanitarian organisations because they live in areas controlled by armed groups. Since 2012, northeast Nigeria has faced insecurity due to the conflict with the Boko Haram insurgent group.

However, Action Against Hunger continues to operate in some of the most affected areas – working to ensure children and families touched by this conflict are receiving the lifesaving support they need.

Country facts

  • 2,431,541

    Action Against Hunger's programmes reached over 2 million people in Nigeria in 2020.

  • 201M

    Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people.

  • 36.8%

    Over a third of Nigerian children under five suffer from malnutrition.

Action Against Hunger’s programmes in Nigeria

Action Against Hunger has worked in Nigeria since 2010. We help fight the root causes of hunger by:

  • providing vital monthly food assistance to 210,000 people in Borno and Yobe states
  • improving families’ access to food through our farming, fishing and vegetable garden training programmes
  • helping the healthcare system to prevent malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under five
  • building and restoring waterpoints to improve access to safe water
  • distributing hygiene kits, shelter and other essential items to those who have fled conflict
A beneficiary of the Action Against Hunger's

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