Due to the current economic climate in the country, food inflation, amongst many other sectors, is at one of its highest in the history of Nigeria. According to statistics, food inflation in Nigeria is currently at 35.41 percent.
As a result of this, a lot of families in the country are finding it really hard to feed properly, there have been many stories of people fainting or falling sick because of lack of food.
In reaction to the current food inflation in the country, numerous Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria have implored the Federal Government to revisit the National Food Safety Bill.
The CSOs heading this campaign include the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, National Economic Summit Group (NESG), E-Health Africa, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, through a Third-Party Advocacy Campaign. They made this known in a communique issue after a two-day retreat which was themed ‘Retreat on Food Fortification, Workforce Nutrition, and Food Systems Transformation’.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria this two-day retreat was aimed at equipping the members of the National Assembly of Nigeria (NASS) with the needed knowledge and the tools necessary to develop and implement effective policies and bills to drive food fortification. And to also improve the health and economic well-being of the citizens of Nigeria.
The communique said “The National Food Safety Bill should be revisited by a five-member Committee, two members in the Senate (Health and Agriculture), three members in the House of Representatives (NAFDAC, Agriculture – Food Production, and Nutrition), and with GAIN providing technical assistance; to address gaps and conflicts in the Bill and champion it through legislative processes.
“To effectively steer the country’s food systems and nutrition landscape, the position of the Special Adviser to the President on food systems and nutrition should be filled and strengthened with data analysis tools, technical assistance, and increased funding.
“A food fortification Bill should be developed and processed to passage and assent, with the involvement of all relevant MDAs.
“A national workforce nutrition policy should be drafted with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
“Public awareness about workforce nutrition and associated interventions should be raised through impactful evidence-based campaigns, fostering widespread acceptance, and paving the way for ratification and implementation of the draft policy.
“A Bill for a national agency on nutrition should be developed and championed through legislative processes.”