Nigrians and Africans have been urged to prioritise safe, healthy, diverse nutrition and recognise the severe dangers of consuming expired and unsafe food.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Agricultural Nutrition Network (FANN), Dr Olapeju Phorbee, said that eating expired and unsafe food even in dire economic situations poses a greater health risk than temporary hunger.

The food system consultant gave the advice during a two-day training on Nutrition and Food Systems Reporting organised by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Nigeria Health Watch, yesterday, in Abuja.

Phorbee, who underscored the potential long-term harm of expired food, warned that individuals who receive expired items, often distributed as economic relief or palliatives, are exposed to health risks.

She said: “If you buy and consume processed food, please check labels and inspect the expiry dates. If the food has expired, that means it is unsafe.

She, however, appealed to those distributing food to avoid sharing expired products with vulnerable recipients.

Also, stressing the vital role the media plays in shaping national narratives and strengthening the food and nutrition system in Nigeria, Executive Director, GAIN, Dr Michael Ojo, said that when reporters are trained, they could drive efforts to boost the healthy food systems narrative in Nigeria.

Ojo, who was represented by GAIN’s Senior Associate, Communication, Victor Ekeleme, said the training is meant to focus on leveraging the media’s influence to shape public discourse on food and nutrition, moving beyond traditional news topics like politics and entertainment.

He emphasised that the training “is not just a workshop.”

It’s about strengthening your skills and skill sets, empowering you, the storytellers, to help drive healthy food systems in Nigeria.”

The workshop, however, urged journalists to adopt new reporting methods.