General
Nigeria Hunger Crisis Worsens, Hits Lake Chad Basin
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Few days ago, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) raised an alarm of food crisis in northeast Nigeria caused by activities of Boko Haram militants.
It warned then that if nothing urgent was done, it could become worse.
However, on Friday, the FAO further warned that the food security situation in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin is drastically deteriorating as conflict and instability continue.
The agency has called for swift and decisive action from the international community to protect the livelihoods of millions of families dependent on farming, livestock and fishing for their food and livelihoods.
It said with the next planting season starting in May, and with scarcity of animal fodder and water points during the lean season, it is crucial that crop seeds, tools and livestock support reach families urgently to limit the scope of the deepening crisis that now involves four countries: Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
Some 7.1 million people are now severely food insecure across the four countries. Among them are 515,000 children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – a condition which, if untreated, can lead to permanent damage to a child’s development and even death.
FAO is among the UN agencies and governments attending the Oslo Humanitarian Conference today, organized to mobilize international funding for the crisis-struck region, where 80 to 90 percent of people rely on farming, fishing and herding for their livelihoods.
“In the worst-affected areas, famine continues to loom — and millions will remain trapped in cycles of severe hunger if we don’t enable farmers to start cropping now,” said Dominique Burgeon, Director of FAO’s Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, who is representing FAO at the conference. “Our collective efforts cannot be limited to merely avoiding massive famine – they need to allow people to return to a dignified life. And supporting agriculture is the key to both,” he said.
Besides reducing hunger and boosting nutrition, investing in farmers also provides much needed job opportunities that reduce migration and limit the potential for radicalization of unemployed youth, according to Burgeon.
Crisis spilling across borders
Violence related to the armed group Boko Haram in north eastern Nigeria has spilled over to parts of neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin – specifically, Cameroon’s Far North, western Chad and south eastern Niger – with devastating effects on food security and livelihoods.
With the Lake Chad Basin approaching a critical period in the agricultural calendar, FAO is urgently calling for $30 million in immediate emergency support to help farming families in the four countries get ready to plant in the upcoming May planting season and prevent them from slipping into long-term dependency on food aid.
It said a total of $232 million will be needed to secure food production and access to food for three million people in the worst-hit areas over the next three years. The vast majority of the requested funds – some $191 million – is designated for Nigeria, which is bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Violence and displacement drive severe hunger
Violence has driven millions across the four countries from their homes and hampered access to agricultural lands and assets, creating massive humanitarian needs in an area already struggling with food insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation. Host communities, in particular, have been struggling for several years now to feed the displaced as well as their own.
As humanitarian access improves, revealing the magnitude of impact of the conflict, time has come to support both people who remained on their land and those who decide to return to their original livelihoods.
In Borno State alone, the population in crisis, emergency and catastrophe phases of food insecurity (Phases 3 to 5 on the five-tiered scale used by humanitarian agencies) increased from 2 million in August 2016 to 3.3 million in October-December 2016. The worst-affected in this group are not able to feed themselves and have exhausted all resources by selling off their belongings, including seeds, tools and animals. Without intervention, that number is expected to climb to 3.6 million at the height of the lean season in August 2017.
The UN foresees around 120 000 people facing famine conditions in Nigeria. Of this number, the vast majority – some 96 percent — are expected to be in Borno.
Targeting the most vulnerable
Emergency farming assistance must go hand in hand with food assistance for it to be successful throughout the upcoming lean season. To this end, FAO is collaborating with the World Food Programme to ensure vulnerable families — mainly IDPs and host communities — receive food assistance, and at the same time agriculture-based livelihood support in the form of provision of seeds, tools and fertilizer. This way, they will able to restore and protect their livelihoods and farming assets for ongoing food production.
FAO’s long-term strategy for the Lake Chad region puts a special emphasis on supporting refugees, internally displaced families and host communities, as these are the most vulnerable groups in this crisis. Interventions are geared to improving their food security and nutrition and building their resilience so they are better equipped to handle future shocks. In addition, restoring agriculture-based livelihoods will offer a unique opportunity to pave the way to recovery and peace in the affected areas.
The strategy incorporates not only provision of farming and livestock inputs but also technical training, cash transfers, instruction in natural resource management, and support in setting up community-managed funds that can reduce vulnerability to shocks.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has launched a strategic reform agenda aimed at enhancing port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the opening of a three-day operational workshop in Apapa, Lagos, themed Customs Leadership in Port Efficiency, Inspection Reform and Clearance Timeline.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, outlined a five-pillar strategy designed to transform port operations. The framework focuses on joint inspections, risk-based cargo clearance, optimisation of scanning infrastructure, enforcement of service timelines, and improved inter-agency collaboration.
Mr Adeniyi emphasised that the Service is shifting from policy formulation to effective implementation, stressing the need for consistent execution of established best practices.
He noted that the “workshop was aimed at bridging the gap between knowledge and action within the system.”
He further highlighted the transition to intelligence-led cargo processing, stating that ongoing investments in digital platforms and scanning systems must result in faster, more transparent clearance procedures for traders.
To ensure accountability, the Customs boss disclosed that the workshop would produce a reform execution matrix subject to close monitoring, adding that he would personally track progress reports.
He also urged officers to uphold professionalism, integrity, and commitment in the discharge of their duties.
In her remarks, the Director-General of PEBEC, Mrs Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, underscored the importance of adopting risk-based, data-driven inspection systems.
According to her, efficient and transparent border processes are essential to reducing the cost of doing business and improving Nigeria’s global trade standing.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Mrs Caroline Niagwan, said the evolving mandate of the Service places it at the heart of trade facilitation and economic growth, adding that efficiency must be reflected across all commands.
As part of the engagement, the Customs and PEBEC delegation visited the National Single Window facility, where they held discussions with the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Mr Zacch Adedeji, and other stakeholders to review progress and address operational challenges.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Madica, a structured investment programme for pre-seed African startups, has announced new investments totalling $600,000 in three tech-enabled startups, including Nigerian data startup, Biovana.
According to the initiative, these investments further reinforce Madica’s commitment to supporting founders and startups often excluded from traditional venture funding. The other startups include Tanzania’s Kilimo Fresh and Kenya’s Hakimu.
Each company has secured up to $200,000 in funding and will take part in Madica’s 18-month programme. This includes a tailored curriculum, hands-on mentorship, executive coaching, and two fully funded immersion trips to key technology ecosystems, both locally and internationally. The startups will also gain access to Madica’s global investor network, helping position them for growth and long-term success.
Madica’s programme seeks to counter the concentration of Africa’s tech funding in a few markets, verticals, and well-networked entrepreneurs and instead drive more equitable growth across the continent. This is done by backing a mix of underrepresented founders, startups from underserved regions, and innovators in overlooked sectors.
Launched in 2022, Madica is a sector-agnostic investment program designed to address structural gaps in Africa’s startup ecosystem. The program tackles key challenges startups face, such as limited access to capital, a scarcity of investors, and insufficient mentorship. It also provides the structured support necessary for startups to resolve critical issues and foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation across the continent.
Kilimo Fresh (Tanzania), co-founded by Ms Baraka Chijenga and Mr Justice Mangu, connects smallholder farmers in Tanzania to reliable urban markets by aggregating, processing, and distributing fresh produce through a technology-enabled supply chain, aiming to reduce food waste.
Hakimu (Kenya), Hakimu, co-founded by Ms Rawan Dareer, Mr Ahmed Ahmed and Mr Ahmed Elbashir, is building a pan-African legal infrastructure leveraging the power of AI.
Biovana (Nigeria), co-founded by two female founders, Ms Estelle Dogbo and Dr Jumi Popoola, is a data harmonisation and certification platform focused on unlocking African health datasets for global pharmaceutical, AI, and clinical research applications.
Commenting on the new portfolio companies, Mr Emmanuel Adegboye, Head of Madica, said, “Each new investment brings us closer to the portfolio we set out to build, one that reflects the full breadth and diversity of African entrepreneurship. These three startups join a growing community of founders we’re backing with the resources, relationships, and runway they need to succeed at this early stage. The opportunity across the continent is enormous, and we’re committed to being a crucial and consistent partner in realising it.”
“Joining the Madica portfolio is a significant moment for Hakimu. We’re revolutionising access to justice across Africa, and having a partner that understands the specific challenges and opportunities of scaling in Africa makes a real difference,” said Ms Dareer, co-founder and CEO of Hakimu. “We’re grateful for the trust, looking forward to the hands-on support, and clear-eyed about the work ahead.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu is expected to be among the leading public figures attending the next edition of the Africa CEO Forum, which will take place on May 14-15, 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda
A strong Nigerian private-sector delegation will also take part, including Mr Aliko Dangote, Mr Wale Tinubu, Mr Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Mrs Adesuwa Ladoja, Mrs Rachel More-Oshodi, Mrs Zouera Youssoufou, Mr Karim Noujaim, Mr Dany Abboud, Mr Ayo Otuyalo and Mr Chukwuerika Achum. Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, will also be present.
According to a statement on Tuesday, the 2026 edition will convene in Kigali to address a defining question for Africa’s future: how to achieve the scale necessary to compete, integrate and thrive in a fragmenting world.
It comes as global power dynamics continue to evolve, while the ability of Africa to rely on competitive, agile and internationally integrated corporate champions has become a defining corporate imperative. In this shifting global landscape, one lesson is clear: scale is no longer optional. It is the first line of defence.
Organised by Jeune Afrique Media Group and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Africa CEO Forum 2026 will convene Africa’s leading public and private decision-makers around a clear conviction: scale can only be achieved through shared African ownership.
The Forum will explore three strategic levers to build continental scale. First is shared equity, which will look to unlock cross-border equity investment to create multinational African champions. Mobilise African institutional capital across markets to strengthen resilience and enhance long-term returns.
Also, is shared infrastructure, which will take on designing complementary infrastructure to integrate African value chains. Champion transformative projects that serve regional, not merely national, needs and create truly connected markets.
Thirdly is shared frameworks, which is set to harmonise standards, rules and regulations to boost investor confidence and enable the free flow of capital, goods and services. Build future-proof digital rails for health, education, agriculture and cross-border payments.
Speaking on this, Mr Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum, stated: “If Africa wants to compete in a world defined by scale, it must move beyond economic patriotism and embrace a new model: African capital investing together. Shared ownership, cross-border partnerships and continental ambition will define the economic future of Africa and the next generation of African champions.”
On his part, Mr Makhtar Diop, Managing Director at IFC, stated: “Africa has the capital and the opportunity to grow and create quality jobs. What matters now is putting that capital to work at scale. That means building trust, sharing risk, and investing across borders. The Africa CEO Forum brings leaders together to connect policy and private investment, and to help shape Africa’s next phase of growth.”
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