Food security or oil supremacy?

*originally published on Ours To Save

According to the Global Hunger Index, Nigeria is the 24th most hungry out of 114 qualifying countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted its existing food security crisis – with some organisations adapting quickly to provide short-term solutions. However, the work of charities like Lagos-based FeedIkoyi cannot be a substitute for the resolution of wider structural issues.

FeedIkoyi, founded by fashion designer Adeju Thompson at the beginning of the pandemic in response to the increased food shortages he anticipated in his local community, distributes packs of free food to the city’s most vulnerable.

“People really rely on the meals”, said Adeju to Arise News. “I met someone who said they hadn’t eaten for two days before [FeedIkoyi] came.”

The initiative has grown from distributing 100 meals a day to feeding close to 1,000 people daily in Ikoyi and Lagos Island. Primarily distributed in the Obalende neighbourhood, these meals have become a lifeline for construction workers, hawkers, petty traders, and day labourers who are jobless during the lockdown. And the charity doesn’t just feed the community – it is also providing Lagosians with jobs, and granting an income to those who might otherwise be unemployed. In April this year, ex-convict Hyacinth Babatubo was employed as part of FeedIkoyi’s staff.

The initiative’s financial support to locals is a critical source of relief at the moment. However, numerous challenges to ensuring food sustainability in Nigeria persist.

At the heart of Nigeria’s food insecurity is the nation’s over-reliance on oil revenue. The discovery of crude oil in Nigeria, and the wealth that came from it, led to the agricultural sector being underdeveloped and underfunded. Subsequent rural-urban migration has led to a labour drain from the agricultural industry as young, able-bodied individuals seek opportunities in cities rather than the countryside.

Nigeria has become ‘a major food importing nation’ partially because of this.

Nigerian agriculture would do better if nationals were doing most of the processing, packaging and distribution of the food consumed by the public, but this is not currently happening. 2018 saw Nigeria import almost four billion dollars worth of food and drink, perpetuating the underdevelopment of local agriculture.

Pollution is another critical factor. Urbanisation has encroached on land, air and water, and there are on average five oil spills a day in the country – destroying vegetation and agricultural land. A mixture of lack of education on sustainability and inefficient law enforcement means that unsustainable food production and urban waste is mismanaged.

In Northern states, clashes between herdsmen and farmers further limit effective production. Farmers are left devastated and discouraged by frequent violence.

Feedikoyi is an encouraging boost to Nigeria’s food security. Through redistributing food resources to counteract hunger during the pandemic, the initiative is doing very important work - perhaps even saving lives. However, neighbourhood outreach is no substitute for adequate investment and infrastructure – and once things return to ‘normal’, the country’s government has work to do.

Making food accessible to all and doing it sustainably poses a great challenge. As Nigeria’s population continues to rise, so will the severity of its food security challenges and considerations. Community efforts like FeedIkoyi provide much-needed solace and support in the meantime.