• First Lady urges collective effort towards food security
• Nutritionists seek action against inflation, malnutrition
Federal Government has been urged to invest in local farmers, promote agroecology and support equitable food distribution to create a more resilient food system that nourishes both people and the planet.
The Executive Director, Spectra Industries Ltd, Oko-Oba, Lagos, Mrs Oluremi Kuteyi, made the call yesterday during a programme organised by the company to mark World Food Day.
Kuteyi noted that there was hope to turn around the food challenges facing the country as the country had the knowledge and tools to transform the food system, adding that sustainable agriculture practices could enhance productivity while protecting the environment.
“Today, October 16, 2025, is the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 80th anniversary and World Food Day. It is a step into a journey as the door of the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network opens at FAO headquarters in Rome. We, at Spectra, in tandem with FAO, deem it fit to invite attention to the need for all to: ‘Work, hand in hand, for better foods and a better future.’ It is for this reason we at Spectra have deemed it fit to invite our esteemed guests and fellow advocates for food security.”
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Industrial Training & Development, Adamson Ayinde, said the event aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, noting that the government cannot achieve food security alone.
This is as the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, called on Nigerians to work together to build a future free from hunger and malnutrition, describing food security as a shared national responsibility.
Tinubu made the call in a message to commemorate World Food Day 2025, observed globally on October 16, with the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future.”
According to her, the desired future, where no Nigerian goes hungry, is achievable through collective action to transform the nation’s food systems.
She stressed the need to forge strong partnerships that promote sustainable agriculture, minimize food waste, and ensure access to nutritious and affordable food for every family.
Meanwhile, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), FCT chapter, has urged the Federal Government to take decisive action against rising inflation and worsening malnutrition.
At an event held in Jikwoyi, Abuja, to commemorate the global day, the NSN FCT Chairperson, Major Edith Nwachinereme, said the Society was focusing on the grassroots, where malnutrition remained most severe, to promote nutrition education and healthy food practices.
She warned that economic pressures and food waste continue to push more families into hunger.
“When we talk about food, we shouldn’t focus only on the elite. We go to rural communities where malnourished children are more common, to teach mothers how to make nutritious meals from what’s available locally and affordable. This is our third year doing so,” Nwachinereme said.
