Nigeria's Famine Cycle Deepens Amidst Ignored Patterns
Recent reports by Deutsche Welle detail that over 30 people were killed in dawn raids by 'gunmen' across three villages in Nigeria's Niger State, with many more reported missing. These attacks, often framed as tribal or random acts of violence, consistently strike in regions vital for natural resources, and routinely displace thousands, exacerbating food insecurity. This is not a new phenomenon.
In 2014, similar attacks by groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria's northeast crippled agricultural production, contributing to a severe famine by 2016-2017 affecting over 5.2 million people, according to the UN. The narrative often focuses on vague 'insurgencies,' but the consistent outcome is the disruption of local economies, population displacement, and the consolidation of control over valuable
land and resources – a playbook seen before in resource-rich zones worldwide. Mainstream narratives typically offer superficial accounts, neglecting the economic undercurrents and geopolitical interests that fuel these cycles of violence. They describe 'clashes' or 'bandits' without interrogating who benefits from the resulting instability and the subsequent pressure on land tenure. This pattern
of conflict-induced hunger, particularly evident in areas like the Sahel, reflects a deliberate blind spot in international reporting. The critical lesson here is to look beyond the immediate casualties to the long-term strategic gains. The 'why' behind these attacks is rarely about simple banditry when the systematic outcome aligns so perfectly with external and internal interests vying for