….demands implementation by FG, State, LG of Food Act

By Gabriel Ewepu

AS hunger bites hard and food prices continue to soar, Civil Society Organizations, Wednesday, declared Nigerians’ right to food remains sacrosanct.

CSOs including Voice For Food security, VFS, Farm and Infrastructure Foundation, FIF, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria, FACAN, in partnership with Oxfam in Nigeria made the declaration during a media conference held in Abuja.

The Founder and President, FIF, Prof Gbolagade Ayoola, who spoke on behalf of other CSOs pointed out that the right to food is constitutional rights in Nigeria, hence no Nigerian should suffer access and affordability of food.

According to Gbolagade, the trajectory of the Right to Food Act could be traced to 1999, which FIF launched a project tagged ‘National Campaign on Right to Food’, which attracted international interest including Oxfam, and joined force with VFS to ensure food security, poverty reduction and improved livelihood in Nigeria.

He said that the issue of Right to Food has been pursued as a bill to become an Act at 6th Assembly (2007-2011), 7th Assembly (2011-2015), 8th Assembly (2015-2019, 9th Assembly (2019-2023), which eventually was assented by former President Muhammadu Buhari on March 3, 2023.

Meanwhile, 27 State Houses of Assembly passed the Bill into law, which surpassed the 24 State Houses of Assembly as required for it to become a national legislation.

However, he expressed concern as the Act is just in the country’s law books, therefore called on the Federal and State Governments to implement the law in order not to deny the right of Nigerians to food.

Meanwhile, he also pointed out that the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (the ‘principal act”) was altered, it said  that production, conservation and distribution of food are upgraded  and improved upon on a continuous basis.

He said: “It is a mission accomplished when the seed of such a legislation had germinated and fruited into an Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for which I am elated but feel a deep sense of gratification for the hope this new Act gives to millions of Nigerians living in protracted suffering from hunger and malnutrition from time immemorial.

“The State should direct its policy towards ensuring that strategies that guarantee good security of the nation regarding availability, accessibility and affordability of food to the citizens are initiated, undertaken and implemented.

“Adequate measures should be provided to ensure that food security of the nation is not compromised by any individual, group or institution and the state shall promote and sustain activities that enhance food security.

“The government at the national, state and local level gave the act up teeth to bite, by implementing it faithfully and responsibly and also left for the people themselves to take full advantage of the act to participate more proactively in the food policy process affecting their lives.

“While the Non-state actor and Development partners offer their usual assistance to government and civil society towards the successful implementation of the seminal right to food legislation act in Nigeria.”

He also drew the attention of government to international treaties signed as it concerns right to food, and added that in Nigeria right to food will operate in tandem and nexus with similar provisions for the same in pre-existing international conventions, treaties and other legal instruments, which Nigeria is signatory to.

“In practical terms, the Act implies that the Right to Food is henceforth a constitutional right in Nigeria”, he stated.