As the Lions Club distributed food items to vulnerable households in Lagos to mark World Food Day, agricultural development expert Olakunlehin John Oladapo called for reforms in Nigeria’s food supply chain, saying increased production alone would not make food affordable to struggling families.

Oladapo, who spoke at the Lions International Multiple District 404, Nigeria, event on Friday, said weaknesses in transportation, storage, packaging and distribution continued to undermine access to affordable, nutritious food.

He argued that food security depended on the entire journey from farms to consumers, including the activities of transporters and market traders, rather than production alone. He called for practical innovations to reduce costs and improve the movement of food from producing areas to urban markets.

The expert also urged young Nigerians to explore opportunities in agricultural logistics, packaging, digital services and information systems, saying innovation did not necessarily require sophisticated technology. He further challenged the perception that hunger was a consequence of laziness, pointing instead to structural and economic barriers to accessing food.

In his goodwill message, a Lions International board appointee, Dame Princess Adetope Tychus, stressed the importance of tackling hunger and malnutrition, particularly among children, noting that inadequate nutrition could have serious health consequences.

Similarly, Past District Governor, Adelaja Ademuyiwa, called on Lions clubs to move beyond one-off donations by developing sustainable community-based programmes to support vulnerable people and address local needs.

The event was held under the theme, “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” highlighting the need for practical solutions to ensure access to sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious food.

As part of the commemoration, the club distributed food items, including rice and beans, to vulnerable households at Destitute Village, Oko Baba, Ebute-Metta, on Lagos Mainland. The outreach also included food packs for schoolchildren, while organisers said similar activities were taking place through Lions clubs across Nigeria.

The organisers said the intervention was intended to ease immediate pressure on struggling families and support children’s nutrition. They put the expected reach of the Lagos exercise at about 1,000 people, although the figure should be confirmed as referring specifically to the local outreach.

The outreach provided immediate assistance to beneficiaries, while the discussions highlighted the need for longer-term measures to address inefficiencies across the food system and improve household access to nutritious meals.