The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has urged the Nigerian government to scale up investment in innovation to end hunger, improve nutrition, and ensure affordable, healthy diets for all.

Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, made the call at the 2026 World Food Day Sensitisation Walk on Friday in Abuja.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.”

Mr Gadain, represented by Jimmy Owani, Senior Programme Officer, Office of Emergency and Resilience, identified innovation as central to achieving food security and sustainable development.

He emphasised that innovation delivers its greatest impact when it reaches the people who need it most.

According to him, the benefits of innovation must not remain confined to laboratories or policy discussions. They must reach farmers’ fields, fishing communities, pastoral systems and households across Nigeria.

He called for collective action from governments, farmers, researchers, academia, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society, development partners, women and youth.

“Let us commit ourselves to ensuring that every Nigerian household has access to safe, nutritious and affordable food. Let us continue to empower farmers, women and young people as drivers of agricultural transformation.

“By investing in people, fostering innovation and strengthening partnerships, we can build resilient agrifood systems, end hunger and ensure that no Nigerian is left behind,” he said.

He emphasised that food security for ordinary Nigerians means having sufficient, safe and nutritious food on the table every day at an affordable price.

Mr Gadain explained that Innovation for farmers means access to quality seeds, fertilisers, mechanisation, irrigation, climate information, extension services, digital advisory platforms, markets and finance to increase productivity and incomes.

“For pastoralists, fishers and aquaculture producers, it means improved production systems, better breeds and feeds, disease management and stronger market opportunities.

“For young people, it means jobs, entrepreneurship, digital agriculture, food processing, value addition and new opportunities across value chains.

“For women, innovation means greater access to land, finance, technologies, skills and markets to fully contribute to agricultural production and economic transformation,” he said.

Mr Gadain emphasised that Nigeria possesses enormous potential to become a leading agrifood powerhouse in Africa, given its vast agricultural resources, abundant water, vibrant private sector and large youth population.

He commended the federal government for its commitment, demonstrated through policy reforms and strategic investments aimed at strengthening food systems.

Mr Gadain, however, said that climate shocks, insecurity, post-harvest losses and limited access to finance continue to constrain the sector’s potential.

He called for scaling up proven solutions, including climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, mechanisation, improved seeds and breeds, sustainable land and water management, resilient livestock systems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, digital innovations, and early warning systems.

The FAO representative noted that an estimated 645 million people faced hunger in 2025, while 2.69 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.

According to him, climate change, conflict, economic instability and environmental degradation continue to place immense pressure on agrifood systems, affecting production, disrupting markets and threatening livelihoods, particularly among rural communities and small-scale producers.

(NAN)