By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has warned that Nigeria is facing a looming hunger crisis, with soaring food prices pushing millions of citizens to the brink and threatening national stability.
Akpabio raised the alarm on Tuesday in his welcome address at the first plenary sitting of the Senate for 2026, following the Christmas and New Year recess, describing the country’s worsening food situation as a national emergency requiring urgent and coordinated action.
Citing a recent United Nations projection, the Senate President said as many as 35 million Nigerians could face hunger this year, a development he described as deeply troubling and unacceptable for a country with vast human and natural resources.
“The rising cost of food and the growing threat of hunger now constitute a national emergency. This sobering reality demands a doubling of effort through legislation, oversight and collaboration to strengthen food security, protect the vulnerable and ensure that no Nigerian is abandoned to despair,” Akpabio said.
He pledged that the National Assembly would deploy its legislative and oversight powers to drive policies aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, stabilising food supply chains and cushioning the impact of inflation on ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, the challenge of hunger must be elevated to the centre of national priorities, with decisive intervention from the legislature, the executive and all relevant stakeholders.
Beyond the food crisis, Akpabio also commended the continued military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against terrorism, describing the partnership as vital to strengthening the country’s security architecture.
“We commend the continued military collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against terrorism. Such partnerships reinforce our national security efforts and demonstrate Nigeria’s resolve to confront forces of instability,” he said.
The Senate President extended condolences to families affected by insecurity across the country, noting that security challenges were not mere statistics but real human tragedies involving lost lives, broken homes and uncertain futures.
He also urged Nigerians to sustain prayers and collective commitment towards the release of citizens still held in captivity, describing their continued detention as a “national wound” that must not be ignored.
Welcoming senators back from the recess, Akpabio said lawmakers were returning at a time when Nigerians continued to grapple with economic hardship, insecurity and rising social pressures.
He noted that citizens were increasingly demanding leadership that listens, reforms that work and governance that delivers tangible results.
“Nigerians have endured, adapted and persevered. They continue to call for leadership that listens and a future that rewards effort, integrity and honest labour,” he said.
Akpabio said the Senate had entered the decisive phase of its tenure, with less than one year and five months remaining, urging lawmakers to act with urgency and discipline.
“This is the final stretch. It is the stretch that separates participation from performance,” he said, calling for high-impact, people-centred laws that unlock economic growth, strengthen institutions and restore public confidence in governance.
On the 2026 budget, the Senate President assured that it would receive immediate attention, promising rigorous scrutiny and responsible passage in the national interest.
He also announced the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who represented the Nasarawa North Senatorial District, and the chamber observed a minute of silence in his honour.
“During the recess, death visited this chamber and took from us one of our own,” Akpabio said, describing the late senator as a diligent and committed public servant.
He concluded by reminding lawmakers of their duty as representatives of the people, urging them to finish strong and ensure that the Tenth Senate leaves behind a legacy of service, reforms and laws that ease suffering and improve the quality of life of Nigerians.
“Let it be said that when the Tenth Senate reached the final stretch, it did not slow down, it did not look away, and it did not leave the work unfinished,” he said.
