COP31: Nigeria pushes for climate funding, food security

At the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Nigeria is advocating for increased climate financing and enhanced support for food security, according to Punch Nigeria.

A report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, titled ‘Food Systems Under Stress: Building Resilience from the First Mile,’ was unveiled Monday at the conference opening. The report warns that Nigeria and other Sahel countries face threats from agricultural drought, declining crop yields, and worsening food insecurity. This is compounded by the developing El Niño phenomenon and rising costs for energy and fertilizer, with potential global economic losses estimated at $11tn, Punch reports.

The report identifies a potential agricultural drought corridor extending from Senegal through Nigeria to Ethiopia and Sudan. Punch notes that during major El Niño events, suppressed rainfall has previously caused localized rainfall deficits of 20 to 35 per cent across the Sahel. These deficits could lead to yield reductions of 15 to 30 per cent for staple rain-fed crops such as maize, sorghum, and millet, which threatens food supplies and farmer incomes.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.