Global Shock, Local Pain: What the Strait of Hormuz Disruption Means for Food Security in Nigeria

This briefing examines how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, following a US-Israeli attack on Iran, has triggered a global fertiliser supply shock that exacerbates food insecurity in Nigeria. While Nigeria has increased domestic urea production, it remains vulnerable due to the export of most urea, reliance on imported blending materials from Russia, Morocco, and China, and the timing of the disruption during the planting season.

• The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused a global fertiliser supply shock that increases agricultural production costs and food prices in Nigeria through higher energy and freight costs, tighter insurance, and delayed shipments. This is particularly critical as the disruption occurred during Nigeria's planting season, at a time when 35 million Nigerians (over 14% of the population) already face acute food insecurity.
• Despite record domestic urea production in 2024 reaching 4.18 million metric tonnes (a 13% increase from 2023), Nigeria's food system remains vulnerable because most urea is exported and domestic sales are tied to international market prices. Furthermore, Nigeria relies on imports from Russia, Morocco, and China for NPK blending materials; in 2024, it imported 179,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate, 191,000 tonnes of muriate of potash, and 389,000 tonnes of ammonium sulphate.
• The disruption in the Gulf affects global trade significantly, with estimates from 2024 indicating that nearly one-third of seaborne fertiliser trade, 20% of liquified natural gas (a fertiliser feedstock), and 27% of globally traded oil pass through the region.
• The fertiliser shock compounds existing structural weaknesses in Nigeria, including insecurity in agricultural regions, transport and warehousing gaps, and high food inflation. Smallholder farmers are most affected as they cannot absorb higher costs, leading to reduced fertiliser application rates, lower cereal yields, and increased staple food prices.
• To build resilience, the document suggests Nigeria should fast-track emergency procurement of alternative cargoes, prioritise smallholders, support trade finance and insurance for imports, and accelerate domestic blending and storage capacity.

APA

Bello-Schunemann, J. (2026). Global Shock, Local Pain: What the Strait of Hormuz Disruption Means for Food Security in Nigeria. Good Governance Africa. https://gga.org/global-shock-local-pain-what-the-strait-of-hormuz-disruption-means-for-food-security-in-nigeria/

Chicago

Bello-Schunemann, Julia. Global Shock, Local Pain: What the Strait of Hormuz Disruption Means for Food Security in Nigeria. Good Governance Africa, 2026. https://gga.org/global-shock-local-pain-what-the-strait-of-hormuz-disruption-means-for-food-security-in-nigeria/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bello-Schunemann |first1=Julia |title=Global Shock, Local Pain: What the Strait of Hormuz Disruption Means for Food Security in Nigeria |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=19 May 2026 |url=https://gga.org/global-shock-local-pain-what-the-strait-of-hormuz-disruption-means-for-food-security-in-nigeria/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{belloschunemann2026global, author = {Bello-Schunemann, Julia}, title = {{Global Shock, Local Pain: What the Strait of Hormuz Disruption Means for Food Security in Nigeria}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://gga.org/global-shock-local-pain-what-the-strait-of-hormuz-disruption-means-for-food-security-in-nigeria/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }