By Ayo Kehinde
Thailand has donated 12 metric tonnes of rice valued at $22,000 to support vulnerable communities in Nigeria, as humanitarian agencies warn that as many as 34.7 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity this year.
The donation was presented to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Abuja on Thursday by Thailand’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Thirapath Mongkolnavin, for distribution to vulnerable populations, particularly in the conflict-affected North-East states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
According to the ambassador, the intervention is to support communities grappling with worsening hunger driven by insecurity, economic pressures, and climate-related shocks.
“In response to this crisis, Thailand is pleased to contribute 12 metric tonnes of Thai rice valued at $22,000 through the WFP to support communities affected by food insecurity”, Mongkolnavin said.
He noted that the Royal Thai Government had previously provided $10,000 through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), to support humanitarian efforts in the North-East.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, described the donation as a demonstration of international solidarity in addressing hunger and poverty.
The donation comes amid growing concerns over Nigeria’s food security outlook. According to projections by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), about 34.7 million Nigerians could experience severe food insecurity during the June-August 2026 lean season.
Analysts attribute the worsening situation to persistent insecurity in farming communities, farmer-herder conflicts, banditry, flooding, droughts, and broader economic challenges that have disrupted agricultural production and food supply chains.
Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest rice-consuming nations, is estimated to consume about 7.6 million metric tonnes of rice annually but continues to face a production deficit of between two million and three million metric tonnes each year.
The rice donation will be implemented by the WFP in partnership with the Federal Government and targeted at newly arrived residents of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in North-East Nigeria.
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