Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria has suffered an alarming loss of approximately 50% of its agricultural produce in 2023, a consequence of escalating climate change impacts, according to Assalama Sidi, regional director for West and Central Africa at Oxfam International. Sidi made these remarks during a plenary session on “Tackling Hunger” at the Nigeria Economic Summit on Wednesday.
Emphasizing the urgent need for increased investment in climate resilience, Sidi highlighted the disproportionate vulnerabilities faced by West Africa, particularly the Sahel region. She noted that while Africa’s per capita carbon emissions are six times lower than the global average, the region is experiencing a temperature rise 1.5 times faster than the global rate.
“Last year, Nigeria lost about 2.12 billion, representing around 50 percent of its agricultural production,” Sidi stated, underscoring the severe implications for food security. She pointed out that food inflation surged to 40% in March 2024, significantly affecting those living on less than two dollars a day.
The agricultural sector, which has traditionally employed 70% of Nigeria’s workforce, is now in decline due to these climate challenges. Sidi emphasized that women and girls are particularly vulnerable, suffering heightened impacts during hunger crises.
Additionally, Sidi criticized global polluters for not fulfilling their commitments under the Paris Agreement. She expressed concern that African nations are forced to incur debt to combat the effects of climate change, questioning the fairness of borrowing from those responsible for the pollution. “Isn’t it ironic that countries like Chad or Nigeria or Cameroon have to borrow money to address climate change effects from those who are polluting the world?” she queried.
Sidi’s remarks call for immediate action and greater investment to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture and food security in Nigeria and the broader West African region.