Food affordability, availability critical to equitable access to nutrition-Minister

Foodstuffs — A vendor stand beside tubers of yams and waiting for buyers in a sparsely attended Mile 12 Market in Lagos, on April 6, 2020. – The lockdown of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub has set food vendors at loggerheads with consumers . While food vendors are complaining of low patronage as securities operatives intensify enforcement of the sit-at-home order to contain the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, consumers are blaming the arbitrary hike in prices of foodstuffs across the state to trader’s insensitivity to the suffering of the people. Traders attribute the price hike of food items on restriction of vehicle movement by security operatives enforcing the lockdown and difficulties in transportationing goods from rural areas to the metropolis. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

The Minister of Livestock Development, Mr Idi-Mukhtar Maiha, says addressing food challenges in Nigeria involves tackling issues of affordability and availability.

Maiha communicated this at the 22nd Daily Trust Dialogue held on Thursday in Abuja with the theme “Food Security: Availability or Affordability?’’

According to him, hunger remains a pressing challenge in Nigeria.

He said that the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranked Nigeria 110th out of the 127 countries in Africa still facing food challenges despite its abundant natural resources and fertile land.

“Millions of Nigerians face food scarcity; with 28.8 per cent in the 2024 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria has a level of hunger that is serious; hunger remains a pressing challenge in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa.’’

He said that addressing hunger involved answering both the availability and affordability questions as the factors were critical in ensuring equitable access to nutrition. .

“Per capita milk consumption in Nigeria is low; it stands at around 8.7 liters per year, which is well below the global average of 44 liters per person per year,’’ he said.

The minister said that agricultural policies should be made to address issues of subsistence agriculture where people produced food only to take care of their family needs without any remains for the markets.

Maiha said that large scale mechanised production was the only option out for higher commercial yield.

On his part, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said that the theme of the 2024 dialogue was apt at a time when Nigeria was on the verge of food catastrophe if adequate measures were not put in place.

The speaker was represented by Rep. John Okafor, Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food security.

“No fewer than 26.5 million Nigerians are currently facing lack of good nutrition and hunger due to the two factors of availability and affordability.

“Flood, insecurity challenges worsen food insecurity; we are at the verge of food catastrophe if needed measures are not put in place.

“Food Security is a critical issue to maintain a healthy life; both are interconnected; yet each with its unique challenges.

“When food is affordable but not available, there is a problem.

“Affordability becomes irrelevant when food is non-existence because of logistic challenges like supply chain, infrastructure and climate change issues such as drought and floods.

“Affordability means people should be able to afford food; and affordability depends on income levels, food prices, market dynamics, inflation, subsidies, among others,’’ he said.

Abbas said that the National Assembly was poised to make requisite legislation to enhance food availability and affordability in Nigeria.

He urged stakeholders to join hands to ensure that no child in Nigeria went to bed hungry.

Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo, who is the Director- General, Songhai farms, Benin Republic, said a more sustainable and integrated method would help Nigeria to cut down the cost of food production.

“We can produce more and better with less by deconstructing the old system and mindset and embracing a new mindset; then, unleash the capital; that is the only way we can upscale food production in Nigeria.

“Despite the land degradation challenges, security and market shock, if we teach the young people the new ways of farming for sustainable development, we will produce more with less cost and hunger will no longer be a challenge.

“A lot of young people are driving agriculture in Songhai and the soil is getting richer and everyday it is costing lesser to produce.

“Renewable energy, solar, bio-gas–all these transitional energy are what the Nigerian farm needs; we need to generate seven per cent energy from the farm daily to be used for the farm efficiently,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Tomato Jos, Ms. Mira Mehta, said that affordability and availability went hand in hand and worked simultaneously towards the achievement of sustainable food security.

“I have been here for 14 years and in the last couple of years, cost of food has drastically increased in Nigeria and Nigeria spends more importing food than it should be.

“Nigerians spend way more of their money on food; salary cannot go to education and business; it is hard for farmers to grow competitively,” she said.