Niger | World Food Programme

Niger is a landlocked country in the Sahel. With nearly 80 percent of its population living in rural areas, soil degradation and limited access to arable land and water are major drivers of food insecurity. About 3.2 million people are acutely food insecure.

Climate change worsens these challenges, with erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, desertification, and frequent droughts and floods contributing to Niger losing nearly 100,000 hectares of land each year. Ongoing conflicts increase population displacement, straining resources even further.

Food prices soared above the five-year average in September 2024, due to insecurity and a sociopolitical crisis, with increases ranging from 37 percent to 53 percent for the staples of millet, sorghum, maize, imported rice and cowpeas.

The World Food Programme (WFP) provides both short-term relief for vulnerable communities and long-term solutions through our integrated resilience programme and social protection systems. WFP works in partnership with the Government, UN agencies and civil society organizations.

What the World Food Programme is doing in Niger

Emergency preparedness and response: WFP provides vital food and nutrition assistance to people affected by crises and shocks, including internally displaced people, refugees and vulnerable host communities. WFP also invests in extreme-weather preparedness by providing climate information and cash transfers, and engaging communities in planning and readiness in response to extreme events like droughts and floods. In 2024, WFP’s crisis response is targeting nearly 2 million people through food or cash transfers.
Adaptative social protection: In partnership with the World Bank and UNICEF, WFP helps to strengthen the government's social protection system so it is more responsive to shocks and nutritional needs. WFP supports the expansion of shock-responsive safety nets by providing year-round cash transfers to drought-affected communities.
Climate-sensitive livelihoods and asset creation: WFP helps vulnerable communities build resilient livelihoods through sustainable ecosystem and resource management. WFP supports communities with land and pond restoration, as part of the integrated resilience programme. Since 2014, more than 280,000 hectares of degraded land have been restored and more than 6.5 million trees planted. All these activities increases the space available for agriculture and livestock. WFP works with institutions like the National Meteorological Department, to help vulnerable communities prepare for climate risks by using media announcements and tools like rain gauges. It also supports communities with cash and insurance during extreme weather.
Support for smallholder farmers: WFP organizes training sessions for smallholder farmers and uses community radio to increase access to information that facilitates production, storage and links to local markets. This approach also allows smallholder farmers to improve their business skills and access to markets to sell their produce. WFP also buys local produce for its food and nutrition assistance operations. Since 2013, WFP has bought more than 26,000 metric tons from smallholder famers cooperatives. This has contributed to meeting local food needs while boosting farmers' incomes.
Nutrition: WFP plays a key role in preventing and treating moderate acute malnutrition through its emergency and resilience programmes, focusing on children aged 6 to 59 months. We support health centres with screening and nutritional products. WFP also promotes community-based nutrition by placing mothers at the heart of learning and rehabilitation centres. Through peer-support groups, mothers engage in awareness sessions and cooking demonstrations to prepare nutritious meals using locally available, affordable foods. The goal is to strengthen community support, reduce travel and dependence on imported foods, and boost local supply and demand.
School meals: WFP supports Niger's efforts to eliminate barriers to access and quality education for children. Through our school meals programme and scholarship initiative for adolescent girls, WFP ensures that over 325,000 schoolchildren receive hot meals, and more than 36,000 girls receive cash assistance to remain in school, including those living in areas affected by conflict. WFP also helps smallholder farmers provide food for home-grown school feeding.