The United States has warned that disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could worsen food insecurity in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa by triggering fertilizer shortages and higher energy costs.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Food Insecurity in New York, Amb. Jennifer Locetta, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the US Mission to the UN, said attacks and disruption in the Strait were obstructing a significant share of global oil and fertilizer trade.
“We are outraged that the Iranian regime continues its egregious and unconscionable efforts to disrupt freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” Locetta said.
Fertilizer shortage threatens food production
The US envoy said fertilizers being prevented from passing through the waterway are critical to food production in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia.
A significant share of global urea and other nitrogen-based fertilizers moves through the Strait, a strategic waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean.
The Strait handles about 20 percent of global oil supplies and nearly 33 percent of global fertilizer shipments, according to the US remarks.
Locetta warned that reduced agricultural output in the coming months could translate into less food, higher prices and increased hunger in countries, including Nigeria, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Higher fuel costs threaten humanitarian operations
Locetta said rising fuel costs linked to the disruption were already placing additional pressure on humanitarian operations.
She warned that price increases in conflict-affected areas such as Syria and Gaza could undermine fragile gains made in food security by humanitarian organisations and the communities they support.
The World Food Programme (WFP), now projects that an additional 45 million people could face acute food insecurity globally as a result of the crisis.
Citing the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, Locetta said more than 16 million people in the DRC require food assistance, while armed groups continue to block humanitarian routes and an Ebola outbreak poses additional risks.
In Sudan, she said, parties to the conflict have reportedly used access to food as a weapon of war, calling for rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across the country.
Climate shocks add to global hunger risk
The US envoy also warned that natural phenomena, including El Niño, could push tens of millions more people into acute hunger.
She said the United States remained committed to addressing hunger under UN Security Council Resolution 2417, adopted in 2018, which recognises the link between conflict and food insecurity.
Locetta announced that Washington had recently committed more than $1 billion in assistance to UNICEF and the WFP for global humanitarian, nutrition and food-security needs.
She added that the US was “actively pursuing options to respond to fertilizer shortages.”
“The United States will not abandon the needy or leave them to suffer hunger, whether the result of conflicts or natural disasters,” she said.
Nigeria faces additional pressure
The warning comes amid concerns that tensions involving Iran and Israel, coupled with disruptions to shipping in the Middle East, could prolong the global food crisis into 2027, with sub-Saharan Africa expected to be among the hardest-hit regions.
Nigeria is particularly vulnerable because of its dependence on imported agricultural inputs. About 70 percent of the country’s fertilizer and other key farm inputs are estimated to be sourced from outside the country.
The agriculture sector is already facing pressure from insecurity in farming communities, high transportation costs, flooding and the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023.
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According to the National Bureau of Statistics, food inflation stood at 22.22 percent in July 2026.
The UN’s Cadre Harmonisé report also projected that more than 31 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity between June and August 2026 without urgent intervention.
The WFP and Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, have repeatedly warned that fertilizer shortages and high diesel costs were already forcing some Nigerian smallholder farmers to reduce planting or shift to less input-intensive crops.
Any prolonged disruption to fertilizer supplies and higher energy costs could therefore further threaten agricultural output during the 2026/2027 farming season, placing additional pressure on food prices and household food security.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.