Category: Business

• …say scheme can solve 90% of Nigeria’s food crisis

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Haruna Gowon,  has expressed strong support for the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria’s Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative (AMFSI), describing the scheme as a major solution capable of tackling 90 percent of the country’s food crisis.

Hon. Gowon, who represents Bassa/Dekina Federal Constituency in Kogi state, made this known in a keynote address at the close of the association’s three-day national programme on Friday. 

He said the National Assembly attaches great importance to food security and is ready to support the new MATAN initiative at all levels.

According to him, food security remains “more important than any other security,” as it promotes physical and mental health, reduces health risks, supports development, prevents malnutrition, boosts productivity, reduces poverty, and strengthens social stability and environmental resilience.

“When food security is available, the value of the naira will increase and the dollar will naturally drop. A hungry man is an angry man. Food security will increase our security,” he said.

Hon. Gowon added that the current security challenges on Nigerian roads are closely linked to the food crisis, stressing that improved food availability would help curb the negative forces working against the country.

He urged the association to put all efforts into the initiative, assuring them of the National Assembly’s commitment.

“We at the NASS will support you with legislations that will make it easy. It is a national assignment. NASS is behind you. With this initiative, our constituents’ needs can be addressed directly,” he stated.

Read Also: Tinubu, First Lady, Shetimma, hail PFN at 40

Delivering the remarks of the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. J.K. Kachikwu (PhD), Senior Consultant to the committee, Mr. Chrisland Onyemechara, also reaffirmed the House’s full backing. He said the support would extend across all 774 Local Government Areas of the country.

Onyemechara maintained that the MATAN initiative has the potential to resolve 90 percent of Nigeria’s food security challenges.

“When we examine the key elements of food security, four areas consistently stand out: the environment, partnership, advocacy and innovation. 

“Today’s event brings these pillars together in one forum where all stakeholders can engage constructively.

“If properly harnessed, these coordinated efforts can address nearly 90 percent of Nigeria’s food security challenges.

“If we strengthen our systems from the ground up, we will significantly improve national productivity and food access. Ultimately, good governance, strong institutions and effective coordination will determine how well we can address hunger and malnutrition in our country.”

Speaking earlier Ambassador Olakunle Johnson, the Group National President of MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria during the group’s National Flag-off of Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative (AMFSI) in Lagos on Friday, he stressed that the initiative is set to cater for over 40 million Nigerians with direct food access.

Johnson said that the group had spent years developing a ground-up digital food security system designed to connect every Nigerian community to an efficient food bank network.

Adding that at the heart of the project was a new digital identity platform, Virtual Digital Identity (VDI), which would eliminate long-standing bottlenecks that had hampered food support systems in the past.

He said that the VDI platform, alongside MATAN’s automated food security system, would ensure that individuals in every community could be digitally captured and connected to local food banks and community kitchens.

Johnson said that the project was not another political promise but a fully developed private-sector-driven system built on digitalisation, community participation and nationwide collaboration.

“For decades, we have heard promises about food security, but nobody has built a structure around the people themselves.

“That is what we are doing, creating a system rooted in the heart of the people.

“It is not about talking without action. We have the platform ready; we have tested it. We have presented it to the relevant authorities, including the Office of the President,” he said.

Johnson said that discussions already held with local and international investors who had signaled readiness to support implementation, while government at federal, state and local levels will play supervisory and enabling roles.

According to him, once the system becomes operational, food access will be decentralised to the smallest units across the country.

“With a digital identity, you can wake up in the morning and see your community food bank or food kitchen in your neighbourhood. Nobody should fear hunger again,” he said.

Johnson described the launch as the second phase of MATAN’s broader food security vision, following the successful rollout of earlier advocacy and policy engagements.

He expressed confidence that the initiative, once fully implemented, would resolve Nigeria’s food insecurity challenges and set a model for community-driven interventions across Africa.

According to Chief Charles Igwenagu, South East General Secretary of the group, this is highly needed because it is about bringing life to the nation.

Also, Dr Felix Osakwe, Group National Secretary of the association, said that the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.

Osakwe said that members of the House of Representatives present at the event had expressed readiness to collaborate.

He, however, urged all Nigerians to support the initiative in order to tackle the problem of food insecurity properly.