NGO seeks to tackle hunger crisis in West Africa

Monday, January 5, 2026 - A leading humanitarian organization, Long-Term Solution for Destitute Initiative (LOSDI), has announced an expanded regional response to the growing hunger crisis in West Africa, following a recent Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warning that 16 countries worldwide, including Nigeria, face severe food insecurity.

LOSDI, registered and operational for over two decades, described the FAO alert as a clear call for urgent and coordinated action to prevent a worsening humanitarian emergency, particularly affecting children, displaced persons, and other vulnerable groups.

Abubakar Ahmad, LOSDI Project Coordinator, in a statement marking the launch of the renewed hunger response agenda, said the interventions target out-of-school children, destitute individuals, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and other at-risk populations across the region.

The organisation noted that hunger has evolved from a seasonal challenge into a persistent structural crisis driven by poverty, conflict, climate change, economic shocks, and social exclusion.

It warned that failure to act swiftly could exacerbate child malnutrition, increase school dropouts, deepen social instability, and erode human dignity, particularly in fragile communities.

LOSDI’s planned programmes will follow a dual-track approach, combining immediate humanitarian assistance such as food distribution and nutrition support with long-term solutions focused on livelihoods, resilience building, and vulnerability reduction.

Implementation will be carried out in collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, community-based groups, donor organizations, and development partners.

Ahmad said the first phase of the initiative will focus on Nigeria, the Niger Republic, and The Gambia—countries currently experiencing heightened food insecurity and where urgent regional solidarity is needed.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience with disadvantaged communities, LOSDI affirmed its capacity to deliver transparent, people-centred, and impact-driven interventions addressing both immediate needs and root causes.

The organization also urged media outlets, civil society, development partners, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector to support the initiative, highlighting the media’s role in raising awareness and mobilizing action.