Food
By EricJames Ochigbo
Abuja, Dec. 18, 2025 (NAN) Some experts and food activists have urged Nigerians to prioritise the production and consumption of local foods over fancy and highly processed alternatives, citing growing health and environmental concerns.
They made the call during interviews with journalists on the sidelines of the 2025 Food Festival themed “My Food is African,” organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on Thursday in Abuja.
The experts warned that excessive consumption of processed foods posed serious health risks, noting that diseases such as cancer and kidney failure had been linked to fast food consumption.
In her remarks, the Programmes Director of HOMEF, Mrs Joyce Brown, said the festival was organised to celebrate and promote Nigeria’s indigenous foods.
She observed that many Nigerians now preferred modern processed foods, which researchers had linked to several health challenges, adding that changing dietary habits were threatening local seed varieties with extinction.
“So knowing that these foods can cause health complications like that, and the methods of production also bring about environmental degradation.
“I encourage our mothers and our people generally to help their children make the right choices when it comes to local foods.
“Sometimes people think about the time it takes to prepare food, but we should think long term. Consuming unhealthy food over time can seriously affect your health.
“In terms of taste, we find that local foods, the seeds as we had them in time past, actually tasted better than what we have today,” Brown noted.
She recalled that the House of Representatives in 2024 recommended the suspension of approvals for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) pending investigations into approval processes, urging the government to implement the decision and strengthen research.
Also speaking, Mr Martins Olamide, Associate Director for Climate Change, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation in Africa, said the festival aimed to advance Nigerian food culture.
He warned that Nigeria’s food system was under threat from GMOs due to weak regulatory oversight and heavy corporate influence.
“We know that the only thing that defines a people is their food system and food culture. The argument that GMOs will ensure food security has been proven false.
“What we are looking for is food sovereignty, knowing what you eat and why you eat it.
“I think it’s high time we embrace our local foods and indigenous lifestyles instead of feeding on foreign junk that is alien to our system and problematic,” he said.
Similarly, the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Mrs Mariann Bassey-Olsson, described Nigerian food as central to culture and identity.
According to her, African food is rich, diverse, and powerful, deserving recognition and celebration.
“Today, we come together to share ideas and build awareness. I proudly say that African food matters.
“Nigeria has a rich and diverse culture from the north, south, east, and west. Every ceremony involves food, and if anyone captures our food, they have already captured us.
“So we are here to celebrate that rich heritage, diversity, and the beautiful recipes handed down from our grandmothers and ancestors,” Bassey-Olsson said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Abiemwense Moru