Introduction

Welcome to the Right to Food Blog: Exploring Ideas and Insights for the successful implementation of the new Right to Food Act in Nigeria - “Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Fifth Alteration, No. 34) Act, 2023 - An Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to require the Government to direct its policy towards ensuring right to food and food security in Nigeria; and related matters.” Are you looking for a space where ideas meet inspiration? A place where complex topics are broken down into engaging, easy-to-understand articles? Look no further! The Right to Food Blog is your go-to destination for insightful content on the intercept of human need for food and human right to food.

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In this blog, we'll dive into topics that matter, sharing success stories and learning from failure stories, good or bad experiences, and professional expertise that underlay the right to food process, to inform and inspire you. From in-depth analyses to thought-provoking opinions, our articles are designed to spark curiosity and fuel meaningful conversations on food security.

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Stay tuned for regular updates, and don't hesitate to share your thoughts and feedback. We look forward to exploring ideas with you! So, you want to share your ideas, ask questions, or suggest topics you'd like us to cover. We're excited to hear from you and build a community of like-minded individuals passionate about learning and growth about the human right to food and food security.

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Background

The Farm and Infrastructure Foundation (FIF) envisions that the avowed goal of attaining food security cannot be achieved without attaining the right to food first and foremost; and that such a human right must be explicitly recognised by the constitution of Nigeria, thereby become actionable, justiciable and ultimately remediable by law. 

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Pursuant to this vision, FIF was established, dating back to 1999/2000, as an organization for policy influencing and promoting policy best practices in food security, agriculture and rural development; its flagship project being the National Campaign on Right to Food in Nigeria launched in 2007/2008, which through public spirited-policy advocacy, knowledge-driven policy brokerage and evidence-based policy action research. 

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However, in a country where the philosophy of human rights is not so entrenched, let alone ensuring that people benefit significantly from policy benefits accruing to them therefrom, there is only one anvil on which the acceptability of human right to food can be tested and operationalised, and that is the explicit recognition of that right by the constitution of the country. 

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Thus, at the instance of FIF, a “right to food bill” was introduced at the National Assembly in 2010, in association with other like-minded organisations, and accompanied by sustained policy and legislative advocacy. The bill progressed sluggishly over four legislative sessions (2007-2011, 2011-2015, 2015-2019, and 2019-2023), before its eventual passage and signing into law in March 2023, to become the “Right to Food and Food Security Act No. 34 2023. 

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The charge

Then, what next? Which is the goal of this blog: i.e. to brainstorm with colleagues and professionals in any field of human endeavour, towards the successful implementation of the new Act, particularly to interrogate the issues involved in giving direction to and guiding the ongoing implementation of the ‘State of Emergency’ in food security of the country, declared by the present administration a few months afterwards. 

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Moreover, this platform will help to systematically illuminate the technically dark alley of the right to food ecosystem, thereby resonating the critical thoughts of contributors with the UN’s efforts to recognise food as a human right and achieve Zero Hunger through SDG 2. The big question is: how do you plan to illuminate this dark alley for the benefit of food-poor in Nigeria? Let’s hear from you soon, please.