Nigeria’s food security crisis is worsening as water scarcity, climate change and rising banditry continue to push thousands of farmers off their land, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Simeon Ortuanya, has warned..
He said the three threats are now directly undermining the nation’s ability to produce food, maintain peace and stabilise its economy.
Speaking at the 2025 Policy Day of Environment for Development (EfD) Nigeria in Nsukka, Ortuanya described water, agriculture and security as the “three critical pillars” of Nigeria’s food system—pillars he said are now under severe pressure.
According to him, disrupted rainfall patterns, shrinking water sources and relentless attacks on farming communities have combined to cripple agricultural productivity.
The vice chancellor, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (UNEC), Prof. J. U. J. Onwumere, explained that thousands of farmers have already been displaced by banditry, while climate change and environmental degradation continue to erode farmlands and alter traditional planting seasons.
These realities, he stressed, threaten not only food availability but also national stability and public health.
The event brought together policymakers, academics, security agencies and development partners who collectively called for urgent reforms in natural capital management, water security and climate-smart agriculture.
Three new research studies were also presented, offering data-driven insights on water scarcity, agricultural adaptation and the impact of armed violence on food production.
Ortuanya commended the REPRC-EfD Nigeria for producing evidence-based research that can guide national policy, urging participants to chart new pathways for resilient water systems, sustainable agriculture and stronger food security frameworks across the country.