Experts Warn Against Food Colonialism and Urge Overhaul of Nigeria's Food Systems
Leading voices in environmental advocacy, policy, and academia have issued a stark warning against food colonialism and called for a fundamental rethink of Nigeria's food systems. They argue that hunger in the country is driven more by politics and power imbalances than by actual food shortages, highlighting systemic governance failures as the root cause.
Political Failure and Power Relations Fuel Hunger
At the Sustain-Ability Academy on Food, Power and the Politics of Hunger, hosted by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation in collaboration with the Centre of Politics, University of Port Harcourt, experts emphasized that hunger is a consequence of political failure. In his Keystone lecture, Amara Nwankpa, Director-General of the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Foundation, declared that hunger in Nigeria stems from poor power relations rather than a lack of food production.
Nwankpa stressed that decisions around food production, distribution, and access are shaped by power dynamics, which, when mismanaged, entrench inequality. He challenged dominant narratives framing food insecurity as a supply problem, noting that Nigeria loses 30 to 40 percent of its food to post-harvest losses due to inadequate infrastructure. Many food producers themselves remain food insecure, exposing deeper structural and market failures.
Warnings Against Technological Fixes and Junk Food Culture
Nwankpa cautioned against over-reliance on technological solutions like genetically modified organisms (GMOs), warning they could shift control of food systems to external corporations, worsening dependency and long-term food insecurity. Earlier, environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey highlighted the cultural, social, and political significance of food, warning against the growing influence of junk food culture and genetically engineered foods.
Bassey described hunger as increasingly tied to geopolitical and economic power plays, including what he termed food colonialism. He recalled the weaponisation of food during the Nigerian civil war, linking historical disruptions in food systems to present-day vulnerabilities, and called for preserving indigenous food systems and seed sovereignty.
Governance Failures and Weaponisation of Hunger
Professor Fidelis Allen underscored that hunger is rooted in governance and policy failures, warning it has been weaponised in political processes, with vulnerable populations often manipulated through food deprivation. Participants at the forum echoed calls for stronger policy engagement, improved infrastructure, and greater emphasis on local food production and sovereignty as pathways to addressing food insecurity.
The event concluded with a consensus that tackling hunger in Nigeria requires a shift from production-focused solutions to addressing power imbalances, policy failures, and systemic inefficiencies within the food system. Experts urged urgent action to prevent food colonialism and ensure sustainable food security for all Nigerians.
