Tinubu Administration Declares, Then Suspends Prayer and Fasting Against Food Crisis

Amid Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security called for a nationwide prayer and fasting programme seeking divine intervention. However, the initiative was abruptly suspended just days before it was set to begin.

An internal circular dated June 11, 2025, invited all ministry staff to participate in a “solemn prayer session for God’s guidance and success” in achieving national food security. The directive, signed by Director of Human Resource Management Mrs. Adedayo Modupe, outlined a three-day programme scheduled for June 16, 23, and 30. Staff were instructed to fast and gather at noon in Conference Hall B of the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

The theme for the sessions was “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development,” and the call extended to directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and value chain desk officers across the ministry.

However, the exercise was suspended without explanation. A follow-up notice confirmed the cancellation, stating simply:

“All staff are hereby informed that the prayer sessions scheduled to commence on Monday have been postponed until further notice.”

Mounting Food Insecurity

The prayer initiative emerged as alarming projections from the World Food Programme (WFP) indicate that over 33 million Nigerians could face food insecurity by 2025. The WFP also forecasts an 80% rise in the number of people at Emergency (Phase 4) hunger levels—from 1 million in 2024 to 1.8 million in 2025.

Although no populations have yet reached the most critical Phase 5 (Catastrophe), humanitarian agencies warn that the situation is deteriorating, especially in Nigeria’s conflict-affected northeastern states—Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe—where farming remains difficult due to ongoing violence.

“Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the region’s potential as Nigeria’s food basket,” said WFP Country Director David Stevenson.

The food crisis also threatens a growing number of vulnerable groups. According to UNICEF, 5.4 million children and 800,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are at risk of malnutrition, particularly in Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara states. Of these, an estimated 1.8 million children could face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), requiring urgent medical nutrition support.

“Children are at the heart of this crisis and face long-term consequences — physically, mentally, and even fatally,” said UNICEF Country Representative Cristian Munduate. “It’s our moral responsibility to ensure every child’s right to adequate food and nutrition.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) echoed those concerns. Dominique Koffy Kouacou, FAO’s representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to finding sustainable, long-term solutions to Nigeria’s food insecurity challenge.