The right to food is not a privilege. It is a human right. Yet across Nigeria, millions of people continue to live in the shadows of hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity, not because we lack the knowledge or resources to change the story, but because we have struggled to bring those pieces together in ways that are accessible, actionable, and inclusive.
This is the call to purpose that birthed the Food Security Insights (FSI)— the official platform of our SPPG 2025 Food Security Capstone Project, powered by the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG). It is more than a blog. It is a movement in thought, voice, and data — designed to illuminate the silent emergencies behind our food systems and to empower the people, especially the policymakers, researchers, farmers, and citizens who are ready to do something about it.
Why We’re Here: The Rationale Behind This Blog
In a country where food inflation soared to over 40% in 2025 and over 100 million Nigerians remain food insecure, there is no excuse for silence, apathy, or fragmented solutions. But even as the problem becomes more visible, the conversation remains gated, locked away in academic journals, buried in donor reports, or reduced to numbers stripped of human context.
We created Food Security Insights to close that gap
Our blog serves as a living bridge between complex data and everyday realities. It is where policy meets storytelling, where research meets the voices from the field, and where systems thinking meets the urgency of now. Whether you are a policymaker, development practitioner, farmer, youth activist, or concerned citizen, this blog was built for you — and because of you.
We hold three convictions at the heart of this project:
- That food security is a political, social, and economic priority, not a technical afterthought.
- That data without context is noise, and policy without the people is a missed opportunity.
- That Nigeria’s food systems can work, if we listen, include, and act smarter together.
These beliefs are not just philosophical; they are practical. They shape our lens, our questions, and our approach. And they remind us that the crisis is not just about food, it’s about power, justice, access, and human dignity.
Meet Our Team: A Collective of Purpose
FSI is led by a dedicated team of public policy students and professionals from the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) — each bringing unique expertise across agriculture, economics, gender, nutrition, rural development, governance, and technology.
Under my leadership as Capstone Project Lead, our group embodies the very spirit of the uncomfortable conversations Nigeria must have, unflinching in diagnosis, bold in vision, and pragmatic in proposing real solutions. We are not here to theorize change. We are here to document it, provoke it, and accelerate it.
Our mission is clear:
To simplify the complexity of food security issues in Nigeria and make the knowledge accessible, relevant, and usable by the very people who need it most decision-makers, civil society actors, farmers, and everyday citizens.
We do this by:
- Breaking down key policy documents, government plans, and regional frameworks in plain language
- Highlighting real stories from communities, amplifying underrepresented voices
- Interpreting and visualizing agricultural and food price data
- Tracking the policy gaps and wins
- Asking bold questions that demand courageous answers
Our Data in Focus
We rely on trusted, verifiable sources including:
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
- Food security monitoring data from credible sources in the food systems network
- State-level agricultural and nutrition policies
- Voices from farmers’ cooperatives, local NGOs, and community advocates
But we do not stop at data collection. We interpret. We analyze. We connect the dots, so that others can make decisions that are timely, informed, and impact-driven.
We approach food security through a multi-dimensional, interdisciplinary lens, combining quantitative data analysis with policy review, qualitative narratives, and citizen feedback. This includes:
- Thematic blog series (e.g., food prices, access, gender and nutrition, policy watch)
- Voices from the Field – spotlighting the lived realities of farmers, women, and youth
- Policy Brief Summaries – converting high-level documents into digestible insights
- Weekly Digests – curating what’s happening in Nigeria’s food security space, so you don’t have to
- Data Spotlights – visualizing what food prices, inflation, and regional disparities really mean on the ground
Everything we share is built for engagement, reflection, and action.
Whose Voices Are We Amplifying?
In the food security conversation, not all voices are heard equally, and some are never heard at all. We are intentional about amplifying perspectives that are often ignored:
- Women farmers who grow most of the food but access the least land or finance
- Rural communities who live closest to the land but furthest from policy centers
- Youth with ideas but no platforms or opportunities
- Smallholder cooperatives trying to scale impact without support
- Data analysts and reform advocates pushing for budget accountability and smarter governance
We believe that these voices are not just relevant, they are central to building a resilient food future.
Tools and Resources We Offer
FSI is not just a platform for opinions, we are building an ecosystems and a knowledge hub. We are building tools that help you navigate, understand, and act on the challenges of food insecurity, including:
- Glossaries of key food and agricultural terms
- Simplified guides to national and regional food policies
- Infographics and data dashboards for quick insights
- Weekly policy trackers and curated updates
- Downloadable briefs for decision-makers and civil society actors
Our goal is simple: to demystify food systems and empower better decisions.
Looking Ahead: From Insight to Action
Nigeria’s food security challenge cannot be solved with theory alone. It will take informed leadership, inclusive policies, community-driven innovations, and bold rethinking of what development should look like. Food Security Insights is our contribution to that vision. It is our way of saying:
We will not stay silent. We will not accept hunger as normal. We will not separate data from dignity.
We invite you to walk this journey with us. Read. Share. Reflect. Disagree. Contribute. Let this blog be a space for courage, curiosity, and catalytic thinking. Because food security is not just a development goal. It is the foundation of everything else we dare to build.
With hope and determination,
Idowu O. Ejere
Capstone Group Lead,
SPPG 2025 Food Security Project
