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Flooding in Nigeria has reportedly destroyed an estimated 1.6million hectares of crops.
This was communicated in a report by the Nigerian government and the United Nations.
The crops destroyed are said to be those of mainly in the northern food basket states.
This development is also said to have caused a production loss of a combined 1.1 million tonnes for maize, sorghum and rice, the joint statement said.
As a result the country has lost potential cereal crops worth N1.6 trillion financial terms, a statement accompanying the report noted.
The report further noted that more than 30 million people are expected to be food insecure next year, a one third jump from this year due to economic hardship.
Already, Nigeria, which is Africa's most populous nation, is suffering from surging food inflation and general inflation, that has led to protests by Nigerians.
Policies of the current government such as devaluation of naira and removal of subsidy have also been blamed in part for the inflation ravaging the economy.
The analysis, conducted twice a year in 26 states and the federal capital, projected that 33.1 million people would be food insecure by August next year. That compares with 24.8 million by end of this year.
"Several factors are driving this trend, but most prominently are economic hardship coupled with record high inflation, a record rise in food prices and record high transportation costs," a statement accompanying the report said.
Chi Lael, World Food Programme spokesperson in Nigeria told Reuters that "economic decisions to strengthen the country in the long term, in the short term have felt like a direct attack on people's wallets, hitting hardest every time they try to buy food."
Finance Minister, Wale Edun, claimed on Thursday that 5 million households had so far received cash handouts of 25,000 naira ($15.45), as part of the government's programme to help the most vulnerable families.
Sahara Reporters
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