The recent #EndSARS protests against police brutality in Nigeria led to the discovery and mass looting of warehouses filled with food items meant to ameliorate food insecurity in the nation. The mismanagement of the food palliatives for coronavirus-induced food insecurity hampered equitable distribution among vulnerable populations.
The looting also reveals Nigeria’s pervasive poverty and food insecurity. In addition, many Nigerians have justified the looting of the warehouses, citing the mismanagement of the palliatives. The solution to the dilemma of food insecurity is contingent upon the recognition of its causes and implementation of comprehensive recommendations.
Food insecurity in Nigeria is continuously being aggravated by myriad factors, including communal conflicts and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of militant groups like Boko Haram, in addition to violent clashes between herders and farmers, has further compounded the problem.
The country’s food insecurity and resulting malnutrition can also be attributed to poor funding for sustainable policies, limited mechanized farming, poor rural development, and prohibitive practices that disenfranchise women farmers. About 9 out of 10 Nigerians cannot afford a healthy diet. Nigeria has the second-highest burden of stunted children across the globe, and millions of children suffer from acute malnutrition. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hunger situation, particularly impacting food supply and prices.
First, the Nigerian agricultural sector is chronically underfunded. The oil boom of the 1970s made Nigeria heavily dependent on oil revenue and caused the neglect of the agricultural sector. Since then, several agricultural schemes — such as Operation Feed the Nation and agricultural development projects — have been launched with limited sustainable impact.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s changing governments lack policy continuity, resulting in frequent programmatic changes around food security and agriculture and thereby impacting sustainable food production and distribution.