Nigeria's Food Future: A Call to Action for Sustainable and Inclusive food system transformation
Abuja/Nigeria With a population estimated to hit 400 million by 2050, large food deficits remain a cardinal challenge to the food system, yet Nigeria has the potential to feed its growing population into the coming decades. This food self sufficiency can be attained, not only through production technologies but also by entrenching sustainable and inclusive food systems in the structure, governance and administration.
This is highlighted in the recently released Nigeria food system assessment profile conducted in 2022 where gaps such as low yeilds, post-harvest losses, food safety concerns and climate change impacts, copounded with weak implementation of relevant policies and legislation, all combine to stagnate the predominantly rain-fed agriculture production.
The report further reveals that Nigeria’s food system is complex, faces multiple challenges, and is vulnerable to internal and external shocks, making it unsustainable. Weak implementation of relevant policies and legislation is evident due to lack of sufficient funding and human resources, weak institutional and intersectoral coordination, among others. Consequently, the food system is broken and does not generate fair economic returns for all actors. As a result, there is a high levels of food insecurity and poverty especially among the rural poor, high malnutrition burden as well as obesity, and increasing environmental degradation due to sustained pressure on land and other natural resources.
The assessment was part of a joint initiative launched by the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the French Research Centre for Agricultural Development, CIRAD, in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria. Its purpose was to identify key constraints and entry points for understanding the bottlenecks to sustainable food systems, and to propose innovative policy and investment solutions to make food systems more sustainable and inclusive.
Commenting on the report, the FAO Country Representative in Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Fred Kafeero emphaszed the importance of four key challenges hindering the country from transitioning towards a desirable sustainable food system are highlighted therein.
“These includes food system vulnerability to internal and global shocks; underdeveloped agrifood value chains; food system vulnerability to climate change and natural resource degradation; and poor diet quality and high prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity”.
The Contemporary burden
The current food systems are unable to fulfil their purpose of providing nutritious and healthy food for all and contributing to enhanced livelihood opportunities in an environmentally sustainable way. They are being challenged by several factors, including changing diets, technology, urbanization and climate change.
There may be enough food to feed everyone - preventing the dual health burdens of malnutrition and obesity. However, the economic and territorial imbalances are such that food systems do not generate fair economic returns for all actors, particularly for small-scale producers, triggering an endless cycle of precariousness and poverty. Current food systems need to be transformed if we are to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
Using a holistic approach, the assessment gathered a wide range of food system actors in Nigeria through a consultation process. They shared views on key issues and challenges and analyzed potential solutions. The results of this consultation process are presented in the country profile just published. It will serve as a basis for prioritizing interventions in key areas of the food system.
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Contact
David Tsokar Uloma MezieOsuocha
Communications Specialist Communications for Development
FAO Nigeria FAO Nigeria