Key Messages

Although there has been an increase in humanitarian assistance provision in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States in recent months, a large portion of the population remains in need of food assistance and other basic services driven primarily by ongoing insecurity and displacement. Worst-affected accessible LGAs are facing Emergency (IPC Phase 4) acute food insecurity with an increased risk of high levels of acute malnutrition and excess mortality. Less accessible areas, likely experiencing similar or worse conditions to neighboring, accessible areas, face an increased risk of Famine (IPC Phase 5) in 2017.

The inflation rate continued to increase to 18.72 percent (year to year) in January 2017, following the persistent depreciation of the naira since mid-2016. Prices of local and imported staples, including rice, millet, maize, and sorghum, will remain significantly above-average, limiting purchasing power through the lean season. Vulnerable households in the Lake Chad region will be worst affected, with poor, market-dependent households across the country also facing food access constraints.

Most agricultural households outside the northeast brought in above-average 2016 harvests, are consuming their own food stocks, and have normal access to income opportunities and markets. Some market dependent, poor households will face difficulty meeting needs in the lean season as their food stocks diminish due to high food prices. Most areas of the country will continue to face Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity, although some northern and central areas will be Stressed (IPC Phase 2) during the lean season, from June to September.