Culinary expert and founder of the Atiję Experience, Moyosore Odunfa-Akinbo, has warned that food in Nigeria can be weaponised for political gain, urging communities to embrace local food production to reduce their dependence on those who control access to essential commodities.
Odunfa-Akinbo made the remarks during an interview on ARISE News on Saturday, where she discussed the relationship between food insecurity, political influence and the need for communities to take greater responsibility for their food supply.
Speaking about the use of food to influence people’s political choices, she said: “Unfortunately, I also believe that the reason why our food is the same is the way it is, so that it can be weaponised. It can be capitalised upon when the time is needed.”
She said political actors understand the influence food has on people’s decisions, particularly when households struggle to afford basic necessities.
“They know why they’re able to use these particular things to get people’s attention. People say, oh, collect and don’t vote.
“No, there’s a reason why these things actually take people’s attention.”
The culinary expert argued that communities could reduce their vulnerability by growing their own food and developing shared green spaces.
She said: “So as people, what can we do? People advocate and say, why can’t you, why can’t we have home gardens once again? Why can’t we grow a little bit of food where we are, as communities come together and have green spaces and say, okay, our food is not going to be in the hands of certain people.
“We want to be able to have the assurance that we will be able to eat no matter what, regardless of what is happening.”
Odunfa-Akinbo acknowledged that food would continue to play a role in political mobilisation but stressed the importance of considering what communities could do to protect their access to food.
“And also the truth is that these things will still happen. They will still be used. But what can we do about it from where we are? It’s very tricky.”
Her comments came during a discussion on food insecurity in Nigeria, where rising food prices have made it increasingly difficult for many households to afford their usual meals.
She also called for greater attention to indigenous food production and the use of locally available ingredients as part of efforts to improve access to nutritious food.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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