Reps endorse automated food security system

… says initiative can tackle 90% hunger crisis

The House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative (AMFSI), declaring that the technology-driven programme has the capacity to address as much as 90 per cent of Nigeria’s food security challenges if fully implemented nationwide.

The endorsement came at the close of the three-day national programme of the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria held recently, where lawmakers, policy experts and industry stakeholders converged to review innovative solutions to the country’s worsening food crisis.

Delivering a keynote address, Hon. Haruna Gowon, member representing Bassa/Dekina Federal Constituency, said the National Assembly (NASS) considers food security a national emergency and would provide full legislative backing to ensure the success of the MATAN initiative.

“Food security remains more important than any other security,” Gowon said.

“It promotes physical and mental health, reduces health risks, supports development, prevents malnutrition, increases productivity, alleviates poverty and drives social stability. Food security is all in all.”

According to him, improved food availability would also have positive macroeconomic implications, including strengthening the naira and easing pressure on the foreign exchange market.

“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, linking hunger directly to the country’s growing insecurity.

Gowon added that the legislature was ready to support the initiative with enabling laws and oversight to ensure it reaches communities across the country. “This is a national assignment. NASS is behind you. With this initiative, the needs of our constituents can be addressed directly,” he said.

Reinforcing the House’s position, Mr. Chrisland Onyemechara, Senior Consultant to the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, who spoke on behalf of the committee’s chairman, Chike Okafor, said AMFSI aligns with the core pillars required to solve Nigeria’s food crisis.

“When we examine the key elements of food security, four areas consistently stand out: the environment, partnership, advocacy and innovation,” Onyemechara said. “Today’s event brings these pillars together in one forum where all stakeholders can engage constructively.”

He noted that if properly harnessed, coordinated efforts driven by technology and strong institutions could resolve nearly 90 per cent of the nation’s food security challenges. “If we strengthen our systems from the ground up, we will significantly improve national productivity and food access,” he added, stressing that good governance and effective coordination would be decisive.

Earlier, the National President of the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria, Ambassador Olakunle Johnson, unveiled details of the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative, describing it as a private-sector-driven, digitally enabled solution designed to provide direct food access to over 40 million Nigerians.

Johnson said the initiative was the product of years of development and testing, aimed at building a community-based digital food security infrastructure that connects every Nigerian community to a functional food bank network.

“At the heart of this project is a Virtual Digital Identity (VDI) platform that eliminates the bottlenecks that have undermined food support systems in the past,” he said.

According to him, the VDI system will digitally capture individuals across communities, linking them to local food banks and community kitchens to ensure transparent, efficient and equitable food distribution.

“This is not another political promise. It is a fully developed system built on digitalisation, community participation and nationwide collaboration,” Johnson said.

“For decades, we have talked about food security without building a structure around the people themselves. That is what we are doing.”

He disclosed that discussions with local and international investors were already at advanced stages, while government at the federal, state and local levels would play supervisory and enabling roles. Once operational, he said, food access would be decentralised to the smallest community units.

“With a digital identity, you can wake up and know where your community food bank or kitchen is. Nobody should fear hunger again,” Johnson said.

Describing the launch as the second phase of MATAN’s broader food security vision, he expressed confidence that the initiative could become a model for community-driven food security interventions across Africa.

Other stakeholders also endorsed the project.

Chief Charles Igwenagu, the association’s South-East General Secretary, described the initiative as “about bringing life to the nation,” while the National Secretary, Dr. Felix Osakwe, said it aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.

Osakwe added that lawmakers present at the event had indicated readiness to collaborate, urging Nigerians across all sectors to support the initiative to effectively tackle food insecurity.

As Nigeria grapples with rising food prices, supply disruptions and insecurity, stakeholders believe the MATAN digital food security framework could mark a turning point in the country’s quest for sustainable food access and economic stability.