About 309 million people in Africa faced hunger in 2025, according to figures highlighted by the African Development Bank in a renewed call for stronger investment and accountability in nutrition programmes. The Bank argues that improving nutrition should be treated as a development and economic priority, integrated into agriculture, education, social protection and climate-related spending rather than left to isolated interventions.
The scale of the challenge
In a statement published on 26 October 2026, the Bank cited the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report. Globally, approximately 645 million people faced hunger in 2025, while 2.69 billion could not afford a healthy diet. The Bank said Africa bore the heaviest burden, with roughly one in five people facing hunger and 66.6% unable to afford a healthy diet. These figures refer to 2025 conditions, not a new count conducted in October.
From conference discussion to financing
The statement followed the Micronutrient Forum’s seventh global conference in Accra, held from 28 September to 1 October. More than 2,000 delegates from 119 countries participated in person or online, according to the Bank. The meeting examined nutrition amid reduced aid budgets, climate shocks, conflict and displacement. The new announcement is a report on that earlier event and its implications, not a claim that the conference was held this week.
Why nutrition is an economic issue
Poor nutrition can undermine learning, health and productive capacity over the course of a person’s life. Children who do not receive adequate nutrients may face developmental challenges that affect education and future opportunities. For governments, the consequences extend to health-system costs and human-capital outcomes. This is why nutrition spending can have benefits beyond immediate food provision, although the scale of returns depends on programme design and implementation.
A $9.5 billion pledge
The AfDB cited its $9.5 billion Nutrition for Growth pledge through 2030, supported by its Banking on Nutrition programme and multi-sectoral nutrition action plan. A pledge is a forward-looking commitment, not evidence that the entire amount has been disbursed. The Bank wants nutrition outcomes embedded in the investments it already finances, so that projects can be assessed against measurable effects on people.
School meals and local agriculture
The End School-Age Hunger in Africa Trust Fund was established with a $50 million contribution from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Its initial pipeline covers Uganda, Ethiopia, Benin, Guinea, Nigeria and The Gambia. By linking school feeding to local procurement, the approach seeks to improve child nutrition and attendance while creating demand for smallholder farmers and agrifood businesses. These potential benefits require reliable procurement, food safety, logistics and programme monitoring.
Beyond early childhood
The conference also considered nutrition throughout childhood and adolescence, rather than concentrating exclusively on the first 1,000 days from conception to age two. A broader approach recognises the continuing importance of diet during school years and adolescence. Policies may need to address different nutritional needs and vulnerabilities across age groups and communities.
The accountability problem
The Bank’s representatives called for common markers to track nutrition spending, community accountability and better connections between financing pledges and meals delivered. These mechanisms could make it easier to distinguish commitments from actual services and outcomes. Measuring the number of meals alone may be insufficient; quality, nutritional content, coverage and continuity are also important.
Climate, agriculture and affordability
Climate-related shocks can disrupt food production and prices, while conflict and displacement can damage livelihoods and market access. Investment in resilient agriculture, storage, distribution and social protection may help improve access to food. But food availability and a healthy diet are not identical: households must also be able to afford diverse, nutritious foods. The Bank’s figures show why affordability deserves particular attention.
What to watch
The next test is whether governments and development partners translate conference recommendations into budgeted programmes with transparent results. For African economies, nutrition policy connects human development with agricultural markets, education and long-term productivity. Progress should be measured in improved diets and health outcomes, not simply the size of funding announcements.
From pledges to budgets
A multi-year pledge can help signal institutional priorities, but its value to communities depends on the programmes financed and services delivered. Governments and lenders need transparent information on the share of investment reaching nutrition objectives, the beneficiaries served and the results achieved. The AfDB’s call for tracking from commitment to delivery reflects that concern.
Nutrition-sensitive investment can take several forms. Agricultural projects may improve access to diverse foods; school feeding can link procurement with child welfare; and social protection can support households during price shocks. The effectiveness of each approach depends on local conditions. A school-meal programme, for example, needs reliable suppliers, food-safety controls and predictable funding to operate throughout the academic year.
Why the latest statement matters
The conference itself concluded on 1 October, while the Bank’s statement appeared on 26 October. The publication is therefore best understood as a follow-up on policy recommendations and financing accountability, not breaking news from a newly convened summit. That distinction helps readers evaluate what has changed and what remains a proposal. The strongest future follow-up would report independently verified disbursements, school-feeding coverage or improvements in dietary outcomes.
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