Agricultural stakeholders have warned that Nigeria’s dependence on foreign seeds could undermine its food security, urging the government to invest in local seed production, preserve indigenous varieties and promote sustainable farming.
They spoke on Friday at a World Food Day media briefing and the launch of the Let’s Go Planting movement at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, where they called on Nigerians to embrace household food production and take a more active role in tackling hunger.
The event was organised by the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), in conjunction with the LoveWorld Ministry of Food Technology and Sovereignty, to promote food sovereignty, safe food production and greater public participation in agriculture.
In her opening address, the Executive Minister of the LoveWorld Ministry of Food Technology and Sovereignty, Pastor Ifeoma Chiemeka, described the initiative as a global movement to encourage individuals, families, communities and governments to participate more actively in the food value chain.
Conveying the greetings of the president of LoveWorld, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Chiemeka said the initiative sought to highlight the links between food production, public health, economic development and national independence.
“Let’s Go Planting is more than a campaign. It is a worldwide awakening,” she said.
She expressed concern over the influence of commercial interests in the global food system, particularly agricultural biotechnology and restrictive seed patents, which she said could limit farmers’ control over planting materials and threaten food sovereignty.
She said the movement would promote organic and regenerative farming, pesticide-free practices and the preservation of indigenous seeds.
“With Let’s Go Planting, we rise to liberate homes, communities, economies, and governments. We rise to restore and promote organic, safe, pesticide-free, regenerative, and indigenous seeds and farming systems,” she said.
Chiemeka expressed the ministry’s readiness to work with the Federal Government, the National Assembly and other African governments to advance food sovereignty and improve access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of CAfPRA and Deputy Director of CEFSAR, Segun Adebayo, said food availability alone was insufficient to guarantee food sovereignty if a country lacked control over the seeds needed for agricultural production.
He warned that excessive reliance on imported seeds, particularly varieties that farmers could not readily save and replant, could expose Nigeria to disruptions in international supply chains.
Adebayo called for increased investment in locally produced seeds that farmers could preserve and reuse, arguing that greater domestic capacity would strengthen the resilience of the country’s food system.
“Everybody must eat. Food is not discriminatory. But we have to be very careful about what we eat because what we eat matters a great deal,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to grow vegetables, fruits and other food crops in backyards, gardens, schools and other available spaces, stressing that food production should not be left to commercial farmers alone.
“Let’s Go Planting is not just a slogan; it is a call to action,” he said, urging individuals and communities to translate discussions about food security into practical efforts to grow their own food.
The Director of the Department of Agriculture at the LoveWorld Ministry of Food Technology and Sovereignty, Pastor Tom Obiazi, called for farming practices that protect soil health, the environment and human wellbeing.
Drawing on his experience growing up around an agricultural plantation, Obiazi said agricultural development should be measured not only by increased yields but also by the long-term effects of farming methods on food safety and environmental sustainability.
He advocated greater attention to organic farming and alternatives that could reduce reliance on agricultural chemicals associated with potential health and environmental risks.
The Chief Executive Officer of Women Food, Juliet Okumoku Eniakor, highlighted the importance of access to quality organic seeds in promoting safer food production.
She said her company prioritised organic seeds for farmers supplying its food-processing operations, adding that the initiative offered an opportunity to educate Nigerians on sustainable farming and healthier food choices.
Similarly, Ifeanyi A. Nwaokolo, representing the LoveWorld Ministry of Food Sovereignty, called for stronger collaboration among farmers, researchers, investors, food processors and distributors to strengthen the country’s food system.
He emphasised the need to improve farmers’ access to diverse seed varieties, particularly those that could be saved and replanted after harvest, to reduce reliance on external suppliers.
Lucasamo of Lou Freys Global Enterprise urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to food quality and safety, noting that sustainable production must be complemented by responsible processing, packaging and handling.
Legislative action
Beyond farming practices, stakeholders called for stronger legislation and sustained investment in nutrition and food security.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, represented by the committee’s clerk, Adm. Agenti Milicent, reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to tackling malnutrition and strengthening the country’s food and nutrition security framework.
Okafor said the committee, established in December 2023 and inaugurated in February 2024, had worked to mobilise state legislatures and promote legislative action on nutrition and food security.
He disclosed that 32 states had established nutrition and food security committees, leading to the formation of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security.
According to him, the network was developing legislative proposals to address key nutrition challenges, including extending maternity leave to six months and regulating the sale of adulterated vegetable oils in open markets.
He also disclosed that the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria Bill (HB. 2659) had passed second reading in the House of Representatives, with a public hearing scheduled for October 20, 2026.
The National Nutrition Bill, an executive bill, was also at an advanced stage ahead of its transmission to the National Assembly for consideration, he said.
Okafor identified effective oversight of nutrition funding, protection of local food systems and safeguards against the aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods to children as priorities for improving nutrition outcomes.
He warned that malnutrition and food insecurity remained significant threats to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development, while rising food prices had made it increasingly difficult for many households to afford adequate and nutritious meals.
He called for stronger partnerships among government institutions, development partners and private organisations to address the challenges.
The stakeholders said reducing Nigeria’s vulnerability to external supply disruptions would require investment in domestic seed production, improved access to quality planting materials, sustainable farming practices and effective nutrition policies.
They urged households, schools and communities to embrace gardening and other forms of local food production, stressing that building a resilient food system required coordinated action by farmers, researchers, businesses and governments at all levels.