The Cadre Harmonisé (CH) is the unified tool for consensual analysis of acute food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel and West African region. At the regional level, the CH process is coordinated by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and jointly managed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Union Economic Monetaire West Africa (UEMOA) within the Sahel and West African sub-region. The March, 2021 CH analysis covered sixteen (16) northern states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) using the CH Version 2.0 approach. Kebbi and Taraba States were not analysed for the current situation due to lack of outcome evidence but had their projections for October, 2020 updated.

The analysis took account of food and nutrition security outcome indicators (Food consumption, livelihood change and nutritional status); complemented with assessment of the impact of relevant contributing factors namely, hazards and vulnerability, food availability, food access, food utilization and stability.

The results of the analysis indicate that 9.2 million people (9.3% of the analysed population) require urgent assistance in the current period (March to May, 2021). During the projected period (June to August 2021), these figures may increase to 12.8 million people (11.9% of the overall population analysed) unless conscious efforts are made to provide strategic resilience-focused interventions as well as humanitarian assistance in areas where necessary.

Main results for zones affected by food and nutrition insecurity in the 16 states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT. During the current period, Borno and Yobe have most of the areas largely classified in crisis with few other areas in emergency. During the projected period, more areas in Borno and Yobe will likely fall under the crisis and emergency phase, while most areas in Adamawa, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara will be in stress (with some areas in crisis).