Pulse.ng : BEACON Seeks Food Justice, Nutrition Security for All Nigerians

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

As the world marks World Food Day 2025, the BEACON of Transformative and Inclusive Development Center has called for stronger action toward food justice and nutrition security across Nigeria.

The event, celebrated annually on October 16, carries the theme “Food, Dignity, and Justice for All.”

It highlights the urgent need for equitable food systems that ensure access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food for everyone.

In a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Kaduna, commemorating the day, the Executive Director of BEACON, Mrs. Abigail Olatunde, said food goes beyond sustenance, describing it as a symbol of dignity, identity, and belonging.

“Food is the bond between people and land, and the foundation of every healthy society. Ending hunger is not only about filling plates; it’s about ensuring what fills those plates is safe and nourishing,” she said.

Olatunde noted that across Nigeria and other developing countries, millions still struggle with hunger and malnutrition due to scarcity and inequality. She observed that many families eat daily but lack the nutrients needed for healthy living.

“Highly processed or poor-quality foods have become the cheapest options in some rural areas. The result is a double burden — undernourishment among the poor and diet-related illnesses among others,” she said.

According to her, food security must go hand in hand with nutrition security, stressing that a full stomach is not the same as a nourished life.

“The quality of what we eat shapes not only individual health but national development,” Olatunde added. “Malnutrition affects learning, productivity, and public health spending, especially for women, children, and persons with disabilities.”

The BEACON Executive Director urged governments, private sector actors, and communities to renew their commitment to nutrition justice through inclusive policies and programs.

She called for investment in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, support for smallholder and rural women farmers, and expansion of school feeding and food fortification programmes.

Olatunde also advocated integrating nutrition education into health and social protection systems and making food systems accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly.

“Food that fills but does not nourish sustains life but does not strengthen it,” she said. “Development that grows without nutrition leaves too many behind. Food justice is the foundation of true social justice.”